BOMBAY

Story of the Island City

By
A. D. PUSALKER
&
V. G. DIGHE

-~INDIA ORIENTAL CONFERENCE

BOMBAY.

1949
BOMBAY
Story <:>f the Island-City.

By
A. D. PUSALKER
&
V. G. DIGHE

ALL INDIA OltiEN'l'AL CONFERENCE

BOMBAY.

1 9 .4 9
Printed bJ G. G. Patbue at 'l'be Popular Pna (Bom.) Ltd.,
....~ 7 Uld Publlabed .., the Local s-.r,., All Jndla
OrieDtal Confennce, Town Hall, Bombay 1.

PRICE IUIPBES '!:.

 PREFACE

The rise and growth of Bombay present interesting

problems to a student of history. While the city has been
built in comparatively modern times the formation of
the island and its rock temples arouse the interest of the
geologist and the antiquarian. The history of the island
upto 1500 A.D. is not very eventful; this tropical island
and its native population slumbered in peaceful repose till
the first European set foot on its soil and set in train
forces which transformed it into one of the largest cities
in the East and made it the beehive of commerce and
industry. How this transformation was wrought, what
factors contributed to it, has been narrated in the pages
that follow.
The object of the book as the title explains is to
narrate the story of the island city in simple outline.
The main sources of information are Edwardes' Rise of
Bombay and the statistical Account of the town and
island of Bombay based on old Government records and
prepared for the Bombay Gazetteer. Other sources have
also been consulted. The account of research institutes
in the city will, it is hoped, interest Orientalists and
Historians. The bibliography at the end, of books on
Bombay, has been prepared by Mr. P. W. Gandekar,
Assistant Librarian, Bombay Branch Royal Asiatic
Society. Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. P. V. Kane very
kindly went through a part of the manuscript and made
valuable suggestions for which we feel greatly indebted
to him.

A. D.P.
V. G. D.
 CONTENTS
Page

I. DESCRIPTION 1

n. ANCIENT BOMBAY 10

nr. BOMBAY UNDER MUSLIM RULE 39

IV. BOMBAY UNDER THE PORTUGUESE 42

v. MODERN BOMBAY 48

VI. RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY 78

vn. SOME PLACES OF lllSTORICAL INTEREST

AROUND BOMBAY .. 111

VIU. SELECT LIST OF BOOKS ON BOMBAY .. 118

 I

DESCRIPTION

Bombay "The Gateway of India" occupies a unique

position. It is full of the wealth of the East and wealth
of the West. Its commerce and industries· attract to it
peoples not only from the mainland but from the five
continents giving the city a truly cosmopolitan charac-
ter. Other Indian Cities may rival and even surpass it
in antiquity and fame, but no other city represents better
the impact of the West on this country, the modern
spirit, the new upsurge, that is abroad in the land,
giving new shape to the Ufe of its people and liberating
them from the shackles of the past. The story of the
Island city epitomises the history of British occupation
of this country and its subsequent results.
Bombay originally consisted of seven separate
islands. These, partly by the silting action of the sea and
partly by human agency, have now been made into one
island which is 11! miles long and 3 miles broad at the
northern end narrowing to a point of rock a:t Colaba at
the southern extremity; it is flanked by two parallel
ridges of low hills, of which the eastern is the longer
and ends in the sea at Colaba, while the other
ridge runs along the west of the island and terminates at
Malabar point; between the two lies the shallow expanse
of the sea, known as the Back Bay. The harbour lies to
the east of the island of Bombay, facing the mainland of
the Deccan.

1
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

On a strip of land between the Back Bay and the

harbour is situated the Fort. The original nucleus, called
the Fort, around which the city has gradually developed,
is now chiefly occupied by Government Offices, public
buildings, business houses and shops. The iennini of the
G.I.P. and B.B.C.I. Railways are also situated in this part
of the city .. To the north of the Fort is the "Bazaar" with
houses rising to six storeys in height, "some with elabo-
rately carved pillars and front work." To the west is
Malabar Hill, an erstwhile fashionable locality.* For-
merly a wooded hill, it is now covered with magnificent
palaces and pleasant villas of the city's merchant
princes and industrial magnates. From a point of the
hill looking eastward and south-eastward breaks on the
eye of the observer a splendid view of the Back Bay and
the town. At the extreme point of Malabar Hill is Gov-
ernment House, while at the other end of Back Bay is
Colaba Point with the Prong's lighthouse beyond.
The northern part of the island consists of the suburbs
of Mahim, Pare! and Sion and still contains some marshy
land. Mahim, which in ancient times was a flourishing
island, is now a thriving locality connected with Bandra
by a causeway. In the district of Pare! is situated the
Haffkine Institute, which in olden times was the official
residence of the Governors of Bombay. To the extreme
north is the district of Sion which is connected with the
island of Salsette by the Sion Causeway built in 1803.
These various parts of the island are connected by
the G.I.P. and B.B. & C.I. Railways, which provide an
adequate service of local and suburban trains. There
• Now superseded by Marine Drive.

2
 DESCRIPTION

is an extensive net-work of electric tram and bus ser-

vices.
The principal buildings and hotels are situated in
the Fort. The enormous Taj Mahal Hotel is a conspi-
cuous structure along the Apollo Bunder; in the vici-
nity are the Greens Hotel and Hotel Majestic, and a little
further north stands the Grand Hotel. Further on are
the Legislative Council Hall and Offices. In the ope11
space in front of the Council Hall is the Wellington
Fountain erected in memory of the Duke of Wellington
who visited Bombay in 1804. In the crescent-shaped
area to the north is the Prince of Wales Museum of
Western India. A statue of King George V in naval
uniform stands in the compound. The Regal Theatre is
to the south-west, and to the west of the museum build-
ing are the Elphinstone College and the Secretariat
Record Office, and commencing from the latter and curv-
ing westward is an extensive pile of buildings, the Royal
Institute of Science with its magnificent public hall, the
gift of Sir Cowasji J ehangir. To the south is the Cooper-
age, while further south is the Cuffe Parade reclamation,
and beyond it lies Colaba with the Afghan Memorial
Church, military barracks, Station Hospital and the
Colaba Observatory, which is one of the chief meteoro-
logical and seismological stations for Western India.
To the west from Colaba to the Malabar Hill
stretches the Bombay Reclamation Grounds. Through it
passes· the Marine Drive, the city's pleasantest avenue
with· the sea beating against the wall on one side and
rows of stately modern residential buildings on the other_
On the Marine Drive are rising Kuvalayananda Yogic

3
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

Centre, the new Taraporevala Acquarium, the Univer-

sity Hostel for girls, and the Pransukhlal M!lfatlal swim~
ming bath. Beyond it at the foot of the Malabar Hill
is the Wilson College a tribute to the silent work of the
Scottish 1\tlissionary Dr. Wilson and near the College
stands the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan only recently open-
ed by His F..xcellency the Governor-General.
To the north of the Royal Institute of Science and
situated along Mayo Road there is a long row of magni-
ficent public buildings. The first is the Secretariat. To
its north is the University Senate House and Convoca-
ti~ Hall." This building is in decorative French-Gothic
style and has in the gable a large circular window embel-
lished with the twelve signs of the Zodiac in stained glass.
The next building is the University Library and Rajabai
Clock Tower. The latter, a gift of the late Mr. Premchand
Roychand of this city, is 280 ft. high, and forms a very
conspicuous landmark. The main University buildings
provide accommodation for the administrative offices, the
University Press and meeting rooms, the School of Eco-
nomics and Sociology, the Departments of Politics and
Civics and the Department of Statistics. To the north
cl the University is the High Court, a huge structure in
-early English-Gothic style, with the figures of Justice
and Mercy near the central tower. Further north is the
:Public Works Department Secretariat, and opposite it is
the Central Telegraph Office. The large open space in
front of the Secretariat and the University buildings,
known as the "Oval", is frequently utilized for sports
meetings. To the north of the Oval are rows of modern
flats built on reclaimed land. Beyond these flats is the

4
 DESCRIPTION

·magnificent Brabourne Stadium built by the Cricket

Club of India. To the north of the Oval and opposite
Churchgate Station are the offices of the B. B. & C. I.
Railway, a Gothic structure with lndo-Saracenic domes.
Passing between the Public Works Secretariat and the
Telegraph Office is the Churchgate Street, and at its
junction with Mahatma Gandhi Road, there is an
open space with a fountain, known as the Flora Fountain.
From this place Hornby Road runs to the north and
Mahatma Gandhi Road to the south, the chief shops
and banking houses being situated along these roads.
Churchgate Street ends towards the east in Elphinstone
Circle where there are some old buildings, St. Thomas
Cathedral (1718), and the Town Hall (1833). Near the
Town Hall there is a very large building in which the
Reserve Bank of India is housed. Behind the Town
Hall is the Arsenal-a relic of Old Bombay-and the old
Portuguese Fort, which still retains the ancient fortifi-
cations. To the north of the Mint are the offices of the
Bombay Port Trust and, close by, the reclamation of the
Alexandra Docks. At the entrance of the reclamation
stands the New Custom House, and at the end of the
mole a railway station. Even large steamers can now
touch the dock-wall and up-country passengers can
entrain direct for their destination. This is the Ballard
Pier.
Hornby Road, a little to the north, joins Cruickshank
Road and here stands Victoria Terminus, the terminus
of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, which is said to
be one of the most beautiful stations in the world. To
the east is the General Post Office, a handsome pile of

5·
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

Indo-Saracenic architecture. Behind it lies St. Geo:rge's'.·

Hospital and in the compound a portion of the old wall
of Fort St. George, which formerly stood there, can still
be seen. Facing Victoria Terminus are the Municipal
Offices and to the west of the latter is an extensive open
space known as the Azad Maidan. In the vicinity was
the Marine Lines Hospital for Indian Soldiers, and · to
the west facing the Queen's Road were quarters for
Military Officers. Along the continuation of Hornby
Road, northward, beyond the Times of India. Building,
is the Sir J. J. School of Art; further on is the Sydenham
College of Commerce and to the east the Crawford
Market. Along Cruickshank Road commencing from
the Municipal Office are the Police Courts, the Albless
and Cama Hospitals for women and children, St. Xavier's
College, Elphinstone Technical High School and the
Secondary Teachers' Training College. Esplanade Cross
Road begins here and runs eastward as Carnac Road
along which are St. Xavier's School, the Goculdas Tejpal
Hospital and the Police Commissioner's Office. The City
proper lies to the north of the Esplanade Cross Road.
The cloth and silver markets are also situated in this
locality. Further north is the old Jail and a little beyond
are the extensive grounds occupied by the Jamsetjee
Jeejeebhoy Hospital, the Cowasji Jehangir Ophthalmic
Hospital, Bai Motlabai Obstetric Hospital, the Petit Hos-
pital for women and children, the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy
Hospital for children and a large hostel for medical stu-
dents. Attached to them is the teaching institution, the
Grant Medical College, founded in 1845. The F. D. Petit
Laboratory for research work and the newly built Phy-

6
 DESCRIPTION

siological and Pathological Laboratories and the Govern-

ment Chemical Analyser's Office and Laboratory are
also situated in the same compound. The Northcote
Police Hospital is close by. Further west is the new
Tenninal Station of the B. B. & C. I. Railway, the
Bombay Central.
Government House is situated at the extreme point
of Malabar Hill. Ridge Road runs northward practically
along the top of the Hill between fashionable residences
to the Malabar Hill Reservoir and the Pherozeshah Mehta
Gardens; from a point near the Gardens a magnificent
view of the Back Bay, the southern part of the city, the
harbour and its islands and even the mainland of the
northern Konkan beyond, can be obtained. The Hornby
Vellard is at the foot of the hill towards the north-east
end, and close by, out in the sea, can be seen the Darga
of Haji Ali. At the further end of the Vellard is the
palace, Samudra Mahal, of H. H. the Maharaja of Gwalior
and close to it is the tomb of Mama Hajani, sister of Haji
Ali. The road then passes to Worli by the Love Grove
Pumping Station, where the major portion of the sewage
of Bombay is pumped out into the sea. To the east of
the Vellard are first the Race Course and then the
Willingdon Sports Club with its extensive grounds. To
the north and east lies the industrial part of Bombay with
its numerous mills and towering chimneys. Further east
are the Victoria Gardens which contain the Victoria and
Albert Museum, a well laid-out botanical garden, and a
collection of wild animals and birds. In the vicinity is
the Maratha Hospital for plague, and near Jacob Circle
are the Arthur Road Hospital for Infectious Diseases, and

7
 THE STORY OF THE I~LAND ClTY

the Prison.
Further north in Parel district is the Bombay Bac-
teriological Laboratory, now known as the Hafikine Insti-
tute. Close to it are the King Edward VII Memorial
Hospital and the Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical
College with its museums, laboratories and students'
hostels. The Wadia Maternity and Children's Hospital
and the Haji Bachoo Ali Ophthalmic Hospital are in the
neighbourhood. Further north are the Cotton Techno-
logical Laboratory of the Indian Central Cotton Com-
mittee, the Victoria Jubilee Technical Institute, and the
University Department of Chemical Technology.
To the north of the Vellard is Worli, now a fishing
village, but which had formerly a fort of its own. To
the north-east is Mahim which includes the old temple of
Parbhadevi and two old Portuguese churches, that of
Nossa Senhora da Salvacao, Our Lady of Salvation, and
that of San Miguel. Mahim is connected with Bandra by
the Lady Jamsetji Causeway, and with Sion by a very
tortuous old narrow road which passes through
the marshy locality of Dharavi.
On modem principles of town planning, new and
elegant suburbs have been developed at Dadar, Matunga,
Khar, Chembur, Santa Cruz and various other parts in
the northern districts of Bombay. Most of the buildings
in these areas are either private houses or built by
various co-operative housing societies and they are
usually self-contained blocks for middle-class families.
Almost all the improvement has been achieved during
the last three dec;~des. Bombay with representatives of
almost all nationalities, ranks among the world's few

8
 DESCRIPTION

cosmopolitan cities. Over eighteen languages are spoken

here-Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam,
Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Sindhi, Punjabi, Pushtu, Irani,.
Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, English, French, Portuguese,
German. Eight great religions claim devotees and follow--
ers on this island, each having its own place of worship.
There is a plan on foot to make Bombay bigger than
what it is at present. The Master plan for Greater Bom-
bay will make the city one of the biggest in the world-
The plan will extend Bombay's limits beyond the island,
give Greater Bombay an area of 189 square miles and
will include all the additional space between J ogeshwari
and Ghatkopar. The city will then have a coast line of
18 miles; it will then accommodate nearly 10 million
people. The new scheme for extension of lakes will ease
the problem of water-supply to the teeming millions.
Housing will probably prove to be a hard problem unless-
energetic action is taken.
All these developments call for greater transport
facilities in the city. It is proposed to provide these by
running a steam launch service round the 18 mile coast
line and laying a tube-railway between Colaba and Santa,
Cruz.
The plan includes scheme for the expansion of Docks.
and the air-ports. The present facilities are hardly ade-
quate to meet the needs of the growing merchant Marine
and the Indian Navy. The air-ports at Santa Cruz are
being developed as it will be the focal point from which
airships will be leaving to all parts of the world. Santa
Cruz port is being equipped with one of the strongest
runways in the world.

9
 II

ANCIENT BOMBAY

Bombay's sudden and meteoric rise into eminence

.as the urbs prima in Indis and the Gateway of India
is but of recent occurrence. Before its cession to Charles
II as portion of marriage dowry, Bombay was known only
as an appendage of Mahim, having no separate entity.
The name Bombaim was originally applied only to the
central island which had a temple of the deity Mumbadevi.
In dealing with the history of Bombay, we shall treat
it as part of Western India and describe it as such so
far as the ancient period is concerned.
Western India, of which Bombay forms an important
section, is geologically the oldest part of India. Before
the advent of human beings Western India was subjected
to several terrestrial disturbances, earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions and cataclysms, which resulted in raising land
from the bed of the ocean. The succession of volcanic
disturbances followed by epochs of repose is evidenced
by several beds of stratified rock in the island of Bombay
abounding in fresh water remains alternated with huge
masses of trap. Each fresh upheaval was followed by
partial subsidence, and these movements combined to
give its present coast line to the Bombay Presidency and
.a haven of deep water to the island, which is almost
trapezoidal in configuration with its long axis nearly
north by east and south by north and its short parallel
side lying northwards.

10
 ANCIENT BOMBAY

This geological and geographical disposition of the

region between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea
from Sopara down to Kerala finds echoes in the Para-
surama tradition current in Konkan and Kerala. One
South Indian scholar·has recently contributed an interest-
ing paper on the scientific basis of the tradition that Para-
surama raised Kerala from the sea, and has shown that
the state of things indicated by the Parasurama legend
came into being at least two thousand years before
Christ.l The same observation must be taken to apply
to Bombay and Konkan.
The discovery at Worli of petrified frogs and of a
submerged forest of Khair trees 32 ft. below high-water
mark under the Prince's DockZ furnishes further proof
of pre-historic eruption and depression. The island was
severed from the mainland probably by the earliest shake,
and Mahim and Esplanade were raised above high water
mark by the latest. The modern island of Bombay was
a cluster of seven islands in ocean when man first made
his appearance here. That he was still in the Stone Age
is seen from the discovery of flint tools along the shores
of Back Bay and in the Kolaba District along the line
of the harbour. These seven islands, probably the
Heptanesia of Ptolemy,3 which were destined to play the

1. I. C. Chakko, JourtJal of the Ramavarma Research Institute,

XII, pp. I-II.
2. D. N. Wadia, Geology of India (London, 1939), p. 33·
3. The seven islands from south to north would be: (i) Colaba,
(ii) Old Woman's Island (Lower Colaba), (iii) Central Island,
comprising Esplanade, Girgaon, Pydhonie, Walkeshwar, Malabar
Hill, Mahalakshmi, (iv) Mazgaon, Bycu!la, Ghodupdev, (v) Sewree,
Parel, Naigaon, Wadala, Matunga, Sion; then turning west, (vi)
Mahim, Prabhadevi; and southwards, (vii) Worli. Lassen (d. his

11
 ·THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

most important role in later times, had no separate poli-

tical position in Ancient India, but were regarded merely
as an outlying portion of Aparanta or North Konkan.
In traditional history as recorded in the Puriil)as and
the Mahabhdrata the western coast of India, which in-
cluded Bombay, was known as Aparanta. The boun-
daries of Aparanta changed at different times and it
denoted different provinces to the West and North-West.
Besides Aparantas, the tribes Sindhu, Sauvira, Madraka,
Salva, Abhira, Vahlika, Va\adhana, Saurii~\ra, Siidra, etc.
are said to have resided in Aparanta. The Miirka~tjeya
Purii~a locates the Aparantas (tribe) in the north of the
Sindhu-Sauvira country.4 In its narrowest connotation,
Aparanta means Northern Konkan with its capital at
Siirparaka (modern Sopara). It lay to the west of
Maharagra. In the Mahdbhdrata, reference is made to
the pilgrimage of the Pal)~avas in course of which they
visited Surparaka and the sacred altar of Parasurama,
and went to Prabhasa in Kathiawad from there. The
Aparantas (tribe) are mentioned in the Mahiibhiirata
separately with the Konkal)as (tribe) who are said to

map in l11dische Altcrtmnskrmde) was the first to identify Ptolemy's

Hcptanesia with the islands of Bombay. See also, Fryer, A New
Account of East !>Jdics and P.rsia, I, pp. 158 f (Ed. Crooke) ; Joshi,
Early History of tire Town and Island of Bombay, p. 2; Edwardes,
The Rise of Bombay, pp. 3 f, 8g ff. Da Cunha (I BBRAS, Extra
No. 1900, pp. 23 f), however, states that instead of seven, the
group contains many islands, and enumerates about sixteen including
Bassein, Karanja, Khanderi . and Underi, out of about twentyfive,.
which belong to the Bombay group according to him.
4· Jfarkaudrsa Purlh1a, 57.35-6; .~lats'sa Purlina, 114.50-t
ViJyu Purilna, 45.128-31; Brahma Puriina, 9.16-8; Visnu Purlina,
111.14.633-4; ~Hahiiblrdrata, I1.5I.28; Rlimiisana, Kiskindlrii, 48.23
(-Bengal Rec.).

12
 ANCIENT BOMBAY

be a southern people. Konkal).as as a tribe are mentioned

m the Marka'.'tfeya Pura1}a and the Hariva'!'Ja, and their
association with the Bhrgukacchas in the Marka'}tjeyas
-xenders probable their identification with people residing
m what was called Konkan m historical times. It can-
not be definitely stated whether the tribal name Konkal).as
or Kanka~as was responsible for the nomenclature of
the country. Konkana is said to have been named after
Parasurama's mother, Rei).Uka or Kamali. But the authen-
ticity of this reference is doubtful.
It appears that there were elephants in Apar-lnta
at the time of the Mahiibl!<irata, and the ArthaJastra men-
tions the Aparanta elephants as second in order of
classification.• MM. Dr. Kane mentions that the
ArthaJastra (II p. 115) refers to the heavy rainfall in
Aparanta.7a The epic speaks of the creation of Siirparaka
by the oce~ for Parasurama indicating that it was
founded by Parasurama. The present Parasurama ~etra
is south of Bombay down the coast line near Chiplun.
But in the Mahabharata age, as already indicated, Surpa-
xaka was the Parasurama K!etra. This transference of
the ~etra from Siirparaka to Chiplun suggests that the
-colonisation of the Deccan by the Aryans which had
begun since the days of Parasurama and Rama, had reach-
ed Northern Konkan in the days of the Mahiibhiirata.
From its non-mention among the countries of the south
,it appears that South Konkan was not then Aryanised;

5. Markaudeya P. 58.22; Matsya P., 113-51; Vay11 P., 45.131;

Harivamsa, 14.784.
6. ArthasUstra, II.2.
7A. Procerdings of the First All-India Oriental Confereuee.
p. 369 f.

13
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

the location of Parasuriima K!etra at Chiplun relates to

later times when the Aryans had penetrated South
Konkan. Periplus calls a tract near Thana as Aryadesa.
Sopara (Siirparaka) . was the chief town and port for
trade with Mesopotamia upto the fourth century B.C.
when it was eclipsed by Chaul to the South of Bombay.
Sopara was probably the Ophir or Sophir of the Bible.71>
It will be seen that the word Konkan is of early
occurrence being found in the Mahiibhiirata, Harivatrz.la
and the Vi,<~u Purii~a and not a late intrusion as main-
tained by some. MM. Dr. Kane's learned paper on the
"Ancient History and Geography of the Konkan" consi-
ders the problem in all aspects, and states that the earliest
reference to Konkan was perhaps by Strabo who refers
to a country called Koniakoi. Sa Konkan is included
among the countries to the South in the Brhatsatrzhitii,
and is also mentioned in the Brhatkathii (as known from
its descendants), Da.iakumiiracarita, etc.sb Sanskrit
Literature designates the western coast between· Nasik
and Cape Comorin by the term Konkan. The same tract
was more commonly known as Aparanta in early litera-
ture. No further information about Aparanta or Konkan
is supplied by traditional history upto the period of the
Andhrabhrtyas. From inscriptions, however, we know of
an earlier period, the age of the Mauryas, when Aparanta
appears to have formed a province of Asoka's empire.
Before tracing the history of Aparanta (and incident-·
7B. Rawlinson, India, p. 178; De, Geographical Dictionary, p. 1!)8.
Some identify Ophir with Sauvira, or also Abhira.
SA. Proc. First AIOC, p. 374·
8B. d. footnote 5 above. Brllatsamhitll, XIV 12, however, men:..
tions Kankana and Konkana as distinct tracts.

14
 ANCIENT BOMBAY

ally of Bombay) from the period of Mauryas let us inves-

tigate into the origin of Bombay, The real greatness of
the Urbs prima in Indis came with its association with
the British. It was but a small place till then, though its
value as a good harbour was recognised. The derivation
of Bombay from Portuguese Boa-vida, which later be-
came Boon-bay (also Buon-bahia) meaning a good bay,
has been rightly discarded as bad etymologically and
worse historically;s the name, Bombaim, can be traced
long before the arrival of the Portuguese in India, and
the Portuguese themselves use various variants of
Bombaim. Saletore's recent attempt 10 to derive the name
from the Buddhist goddess Mumbani, the patron deity
of the locality, on the strength of the word Manbani as
found in Mirat-e-Ahmadi, has been questioned by
Sankalia" for a number of reasons. The facts that there
is no final n in the name as spelt in the Mirat, and the
word reads Ma(u.)mbaiy cut at the root of Saletore's
hypothesis. The goddess Mumbani, further, does not figure
in early Mahayana Buddhism and was never a prominent
goddess; and there is no sufficient evidence for taking the
North Silahara kings, Mumbani I and II as devout
Buddhists, nor for taking the language of the region
around Bombay as Kanna9a. The current view is to
connect the word Bombay (Mumbai) with the goddess
Mumbii-devi, who was the patron deity of the Kolis, and
whose temple, as we shall see later, was on the central

9. cf. Fryer, op. cit., p. 16o nl; Joshi, op, cit., p. 33.
10. The Origin of Bombay, Jourual of the University of Bom-
bay, XIII, July 1944, pp. 1-9.
11. Origin of Bombay, JUB, XV, January 1947.

15
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

.island. The derivation of the name of the goddess

"'Mumba" from Munga, the fisherman, who is supposed
to have built the original temple (Muitgaci Ai), to which
reference is made later, does not account for the word
"1\llumbai". The generally accepted derivation from
Maha-Amba-.Ai12 is also not philologically correct. The
present writer would seek the origin of "Mumbai" in
.the Earth Goddess (Mr9mayi), which may have later
.degenerated into Mummai, 1\llumbai. The goddess
Mommai, which is still worshipped as a village-goddess in
Kathiawar,l3 serves as a good parallel.
Some difference of opinion exists with regard to the
location of Puri, the capital of the Silaharas, which has
heen variously identified with Thana, Gharapuri, Danda-
Rajpuri, Rajapur in Ratnagiri District, etc. Wilson held
it was at Thana, while Campbell located it at Moreh
.Bunder to north-eastern end of Gharapuri. Nairne,
.Cousens, Joshi and others identified it with Gharapuri,
which appears to be correct. 14 According to Joshi, the
.name Gharapuri is the corruption of Agrahiira-puri (the
land in Puri assigned for the sustenance of the
Bhikshus). Agrahara in course of time changed into
.Aghara, and Agrahara-puri into Aghara-puri and then
into Gharapuri. 15 Puri was also the capital of the
Mauryas who were Buddhists, and their name is retained
in Mora, a hamlet on the north-easternmost side of the

12. cf. Joshi, op. cit., p. 39; Edwards, op. cit., pp. 41 ff.
IJ. Bombay Cit)' Gazetteer, II, pp. 2, 3 n I.
14. Bomba}' Gazetteer, I, Part II, p. 16 n 2; Bom. City Gaz. II,
p. 9; Joshi, op. cit., p. 6; Edwardes, op. cit., p. 13 f.
15. Auciml History of North Koukan (in Marathi), Preface,
p. iii.

16
 ANCIENT BOMBAY

island. The old landing place is still called Rajpuri,

reminiscent of the Puri of the Aihole Inscription.
Turning now to the history of Bombay through the
ages, we find that the earliest ruler of Aparanta in histori-
cal times appears to be Asoka the Great (c. 273-236
B.C.) grandson of Candragupta, the founder of the
Maurya dynasty. Rock edicts of Asoka found at Girnar,
Shabazgarhi and Kalsi show that he sent Dharmama-
hamiitras (Buddhist ministers) to RiiHikas, Petanikas
and Aparantas. The MahaVa.1!JSa tells us that Moggali-
putta despatched preachers of Buddhism from the Council
of Pa1aliputra (Patna) to Maharatta, Aparanta and
Banavasi in obedience to the royal orders. 16 The dis-
covery at Sopara (capital of Aparanta) of a fragment of
the Eighth Edict may confirm the Mauryan suzerainty of
Aparanta since Asoka's days.
After the Mauryas, Aparanta and Mahii-
riiHra passed into the hands of the Sata-
vahanas as would appear from the Hathigumpha
inscription of Khiiravela and the Nanaghat inscription of
Naganika, queen of Satakarl}i I of the &itav:ohanas.
Earlier scholars dated the Hathigumpha and Nanaghat
inscriptions in the middle of the second century B.C.
on· palaeographic grounds, but recent researches assign
these records to a much later date-not earlier than the
latter half of the first century B.C. 17a The Purll}as seem
to suggest that Simuka, the founder of the Satavahanas,
ruled about the third quarter of the first century B.C.

16. Mahau·amso, Turnour's Ed, pp. 71, 2; Dipavamso; Olden-

berg's Ed, p. ~4.
17A. cf. Sircar, Stltcl Inscriptions, pp. 183 f, 206 f.

1T
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

and extirpated the KOJ:tvas about the close of his career.

This date is supported by the palaeography of the Nana-
·ghat and Hathigumpha, as also the Nasik and Sanchi,
inscriptions, which refer to Simuka and his immediate
successors Km>a and Satakar~i. Simuka, according to
the Pura~as, was succeeded by his brother KH~a, and
the latter by his son Satakar~i. The succession is the
same according to the inscriptions, but both Kw)a and
Satakar~i were probably sons of Simuka.
Epigraphic records show that Satakar~i held suzer-
ainty over wide regions of the upper Deccan, including
probably a portion of Central and Western India. It
appears that Northern Konkan and Kathiawar were
within the sphere of Satavahana influence during the
reign of Satakar~i I and probably of his immediate suc-
cessors. The sovereignty of the Satavahanas continued
for over 300 years, with one serious interruption from
the ~atrapas. Mahak!atrapa Nahapana, about 100 A.D.,
invaded the Deccan, occupied Junnar and Nasik, and
apparently seized the western coast line. His rule, how-
ever, was short-lived. Gautamiputra Satakar~i of the
Satavahanas drove him out of Deccan in 125 A.D. A
Nasik Cave Inscription records that in the nineteenth
year of the reign of King Pulumavi the cave was con-
structed and dedicated to the use of Buddhist saints and
mendicants by Gautami, mother of Gautamiputra Sata-
kar~i. This Gautamiputra is described as "King of Kings
and ruler of Asika, Sur:i!\1'<1, Aparanta, Kukura, Anupa,
Vidarbha and Akaravanti",l7b and as having destroyed
17B. cf. R. G. Bhandarkar, Early HistoriJ of the Dekkan (Col-
lected Works, Vol. Ill), p. 25; Sircar, Select Iuscriptious, p. 1!)6 ff.

18
 ANCIENT BOMBAY

the Sakas, Yavanas and Pahlavas, and re-established the

glory of the Satavahanas. The "Sakas" destroyed by
Gautamiputra Satakar~i were the Scythians, the
"Yavanas" were Indo-Greeks, and the "Pahlavas",. the
Parthians.' 8
That Gautamiputra deprived the ~atrapas (or
K~aharatas, as their dynasty was called) of their posses-
sions is apparent from the large Jogalthambi (Nasik)
hoard of N ahapana silver coins restruck by him. Before
his death, Gautamiputra lost to Rudradaman of the
Kardamaka dynasty of Scythians most of the territory
he had conquered from Nahapana, with the exception of
Govardhana and Mamalla Aharas. Gautamiputra was
succeeded by Vas4\hiputra Pulumavi, and he, in his turn,
by Vasighiputra Satakar~i (Sivasri Satakar1,1i of the
Pura1,1as). The Kanheri Inscription shows that Vasi!\hi-
putra Satakar1,1i, the son-in-law of Rudradaman, was in
possession of Aparanta,-may be either as his father-in-
law's viceroy, or he may have conquered it after Rudra-
daman's death. Vas4thiputra's successor, according to
_-the Pura1,1as, was Sivaskanda (name not found in the
inscriptions), who was succeeded by Yajiiasri Satakar1,1i
(Yajiia of the inscriptions and coins). He ended the Saka
rule in Western India. His silver coins found at Sopara
closely· imitate the type, size, and weight of those of
Rudradaman. After the death of Yajiia Satakar1,1i about
the beginning of the third century A.D_ followed the
decline and dismemberment of the Satavahana Empire.
It was split up into a number of separate principalities.

18. cf. R. G. Bhandarkar, op. cit.,· p. 33.

19
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

under different branches of the ruling family. The

Pura,_.as mention three successors to Yajiiasr1, but not
much is known about them. The recent find of potin
coins at Tarhala in the Akola District of Berar1 9 testifies
to tl1e existence of all tlle rulers mentioned by tlle Pural)as
as successors of Gautamiputra up to Pulumavi.2° Gradu-
ally tlle branches of the Siitavahanas were dispossessed
by Abhiras, Traikii!akas, Ilqvakus, Viika\akas, etc. of tlle
different parts of the empire. The Satavahanas of the
coins and inscriptions are said to be the same as the
Andhrabhrtyas of tlle Puriil)as; but the Puriil)as indicate
by Andhrabhrtyas tlle dynasties like Abhiras, etc. that
were first subservient to tlle Satavahanas but assumed
independence later after tlleir downfall. The Satavahanas
continued to rule till the middle of the third century A.D.
The Abhiras appear to have succeeded the Siitavahanas
in Gujarat, Konkan and Mahiirii!\l'a, and their founder
TSvarasena probably started the Kalacuri-Cedi era.
Traikli!akas, who were originally feudatories of the
Abhiras, succeeded them in Gujarat, Konkan and Nasik
after their downfall about 415 A.D:
During tlle tolerant rule of the Satavahanas both
Buddhism and Brahmanism prospered side by side;
Trade and commerce were in a flourishing condition.
Kalyan was created a mart, and vessels full of all manner
of merchandise-sesamum, oil, sugar, spices, even 'hand-
some young women' of Hellas-from Parthia anchored· at

19. d. Mirashi, JounJa{ of the Numismatic Society of India,

II, pp. 83-94; Annals of tile Bllandarkar O.R.l., XXVII, p. 39.
20. For Puranic account of the S:itavihanas (or Andhras) see,
Pargiter, Dynasties of tile [(ali Age, pp. 36, 70.
 ANCIENT BOMBAY

the ports of Aparanta, and ships of the Greek, the Arab,

the Persian and the Christian sailed between Egypt,
Malacca, Chlna, the Gulf on the one side and the Konkan
kingdom on the other.
We know but little of the political conditions of
Konkan in the fourth century A.D. A shadowy king
Rudraga~a, son of Indravarma, who imitated the last of
the K1atrapa-coinage, is the only name we know for this
period. The Traikii!akas dominated the western coast
as far north as Broach during the fifth century ··A.D.
Two hoards of silver coins bearing the legend "the illus-
trious Krsnaraja, devotee of Siva, who meditates on the
feet of his parents" (parama-miiheJvara miitapitr-
piidiinudhyiita Srikrf'.'ariija) were discovered at Cave! in
the island of Bombay and in Salsette. Counterparts of
these coins found at Nasik and Karad indicate that from
c. 375-400 A.D. Northern Konkan, including Bombay,
was under the dominion of the Traikii!aka king Kr!~a.
The coins also show that by c. 400 A.D. the primitive
inhabitants of the island were in touch with the Thana
coast, and "furnish the first direct evidence of Bombay's
connection with civilisation." 21 How long Traikii!3kas
ruled over North Konkan is not definitely known. Kala-
curis of Miihi!mati succeeded them in Gujarat, Konkan
and Mahar3!\l'a. The story of Bombay from KH~araja to
the end of the fifth century which witnessed the disrup-
tion of the Gupta Empire in the north and of the
Traikii!akas in Bombay and the surrounding country is
shrouded in mystery.

21. Edwardes, op. cit., p. 12.

21
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

It appears that the local rulers of Bombay after the

Traikiilakas were princes of the Maurya family. The
name is preserved in "More" branch of the later day
Marathas. Suketavarmii, a prince of this dynasty, is
mentioned in an inscription at Vada in Thana. The
Maurya sovereignty lasted for nearly a century when
Kirtivarman of the Calukyas from the South, occupying
Revatidvipa (Ratnagiri and Goa) invaded Bombay in
590 A.D. But the suzerainty of the Mauryas was finally
ended by Pulakesi, son of Kirtivarmii, whose general
Cal)~adal)~a attacked with hundreds of ships the Mauryan
capital Puri "the goddess of the fortunes of the western
ocean" which later became the capital of "the Konkan
fourteen hundred",22 and captured it. Pulakesi also
brought under subjection the kings of ~a, M.iilava, ·
Gurjara, Kanoja and Vanaviisi.. The Ciilukyas exchanged
embassies with the Sassanians of Persia, and revived the
old trade with the Persian Gulf. They followed the Vedic
religion of sacrifice and the popular Puranic worship in
preference to the tenets of the declining Buddhism. The
Ciilukyas entrusted the governance of their provinces to
younger princes, and though Hiuen Tsang who visited
MahiiriiHra during this period is silent on the point, it
may reasonably be surmised on the strength of available
evidence that Bombay and the neighbouring country
were under control of the Calukyan governor of Nasik.
The Calukyas continued to be in possession of the west-
ern coast until about 757 A.D. when their supremacy of

22. Old inscriptions contain the expression: calurdasa-grama-

.solipsamam.oitatn sanragra-koukana-bhu'l.lam, indicating that Kon-
kan CQmprised fourteen hundred villages.

22
 ANCIENT BOMBAY

the Deccan was shattered by the Ra!!rakli!as who directed

the affairs of "Konkan fourteen hundred" from the hill
fort of Mayi"trakhal)~i (near Nasik) their chief strong-
hold. The Calukyas have left no material relics of their
dominion in these seven islands, but their influence, like .
that of the Mauryas, Yadavas, etc. survives in the sur-
name "Colke" found among Kolis.
The Rii~!rakli!a emperor Govinda III conferred on
Kapardin I, the founder of the Siliihiiras, the kingdom of
North Konkan in recognition of his valour and assistance ..
The Silaharas (surviving to this day as Shelars of the
Marathas) claim to hail from Tagara in the Deccan and
descended from Jimi"ttaviihana. One of their branches
ruled in South Konkan from 782 to 1008 after the fall of
the Ra!!rakli!as, and another held sway later at Karad.
in Satara. The Silahiiras of the northern branch remain-
ed supreme for over four centuries (c. 800-1240 A.D.) as
rulers of modern Thana District together with Bombay
and parts of modern Kolaba District. Nothing special is
known about Kapardin, the first ruler. From an inscrip-
tion in the Kanheri cave of his son Pullasakti who suc-
ce~ded Kapardin, it appears that he was the governor
of Mangalapuri in Konkan, and accepted the suzerainty
of. the Ra~!rakli!a king Amoghavar~a. His successor
Kapardin II also was a vassal of the Ra~­
~rakli!as. Masudi, the Arab historian, men-
tions Jhaiijha, the fifth king, as ruling over Saimur
(Chaul) in 916 A.D. He built twelve Siva temples and
was a devout Saiva. The Ragrakli!a empire was, how-·
ever, overthrown during the reign of Vajja~a I, the
seventh king, but both he and his son Apariijita Mrganka

23.
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

continued to be loyal to their emperors. Apariijita's

Bhadan copperplate grant issued in 997 A.D. shows him
to be a ruler of the whole of Konkan fourteen hundred.
Aparajita did not recognise the overlordship of the
Calukyas who had crushed the Rii!lrakiilas. It is prob-
able that he had declared his independence. But the
Calukya king Satyasraya invaded Konkan and defeated
Apariijita who fled to his sea capital, Puri, and had to
acknowledge the Calukya suzerainty. Aparajita was
succeeded by his sons: Vajja~a II ruled for a short time,
and his younger brother Arikesarin was later at the
helm of the kingdom from c. 1015 to 1025 A.D.23 During
his reign, Bhoja Paramara invaded North Konkan and
conquered it, and probably compelled Arikesarin to ac-
cept Paramara sovereignty. Cittaraja succeeded his uncle
Arikesarin, and in his reign the Kadambas conq\!ered his
territory in North Konkan. He was probably restored
to his kingdom on his acknowledging the Kadamba
supremacy. Despite adverse political circumstances,
Cittaraja erected the beautiful Siva temple at Ambarnath
near Kalyan. MummUI)i (or Mamvani), the younger
brother of Cittaraja, succeeded him, and formed a matri-
monial alliance with the Kadambas as a political expe-
dient.24 Mummu1,1i was succeeded by his nephew
Anantadeva, son of Nagarjuna, who expelled the Kadam-
bas from the Konkan, annexed Southern Konkan, and

23. Altekar (ft~dian Culture, II, pp. 4o6-8) has shown that the
view that Vajjada was the younger son and there was a war of suc-
cession is not correct.
24. SaJetore ( op. cit., pp. 5 ff) mentions also an earlier Mum-
muni who ruled in the first quarter of the seventh century A.D., and
was killed by the Calukya emperor Pqlakesin II.
 ANCIENT BOMBAY

assumed the title "lord of the western ocean,.

(paicimasamud,·adhipati). Apararka I succeeded his
father Anantadeva, but was ousted from North Konkan
by the Kadamba ruler Jayakesin II. Apararka, however,
soon regained most of his ancestral possessions and ceased·
to be a Kadamba feudatory. He established diplomatic
relations with other political powers of the day including
Kashmir. He was a man of culture, and wrote a com-·
mentary on the Yiij,iavalkya-smrti. Apararka was suc-
ceeded by Harapaladeva, and Mallikarjuna succeeded
the latter. Mallikarjuna was a powerful king who as-
sumed the title "grandfather of kings" (rlija-pitiimaha).
His capital was said to be Satanandapura J aladhive!\ita
(sea-girt city of a hundred joys) which may be another
name for Puri, or may be Santupori referred to by Diogo
do C:outo in 1603 A.D. In the court of Kumarapiila of Gu-
jarat, a bard of Mallikiirjuna once recited certain verses
styling Mallikarjuna as R.ajapitlimaha. Enraged at this,
Kumiirapala ordered his general Ambac;la to invade the
country of Mallikiirjuna. In the battle that ensued near
Nausari Mallikarjuna defeated Ambac;Ia who was forced
to return to Gujarat. Equipped with larger reinforce-
ments, Ambac;Ia attacked Mallikarjuna and defeated and
killed him securing the territory for the king of Gujarat.
· Apariiditya II, who succeeded Mallikarjuna, soon ter-
minated Kumiirapala's rule over Thana, as would appear·
from his Parel inscription (1187 A.D.) which describes
him as "king of kings, emperor of Konkan" (Maharlijadhi-
raja Konka~a-Cakrcwarti). Kesiriija succeeded his father
Apariiditya, and reigned for 45 long years during which
the extent of his kingdom probably diminished on account.
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

-.of attacks from the Yadavas. Soma or Somesvara was

the last of the Sil.aharas of North Konkan, and he was
very likely Kesiraja's son. In 1260 A.D., king Mahadeva
of Devagiri invaded Konkan with a large army of ele-
phants, and defeated Somesvara, who took refuge in his
ships, and perhaps met his end by drowning. 25 North
Konkan thus came to be annexed to Devagiri after the
defeat and death of Somesvara.
The Sil.aharas were tolerant of foreigners and other
cults. Mosques were built within their territory, and a
Mahomedan judge was appointed to decide disputes of
Muslim litigants. Jews, Christians, Arabs, Parsis, Maho-
medans, etc. immigrated in large numbers to Chaul and
other towns including Sindan (Sanjan) which had a large
Mahomedan population and a Jumma Masjid,2S Sopara,
Thana and AI Omains (modern Lower Colaba). While
fostering trade and colonisation and showirig much
favour to foreigners and their creeds, the Sil.aharas
equally performed their duty to their own faith. They
built many temples, those at Walukeswar and Ambar-
nath being prominent. The "lucky stone" (Shri Gundi)
at the extreme edge of the Malabar Point stands to the
memory of the Silaharas who gave the spot a Dravidian
name, and erected a temple of Siva with a carven Tri-
miirti image. They introduced serpent worship and
Dravidian forms of speech into this island (e.g. pada., in
Nagapada and Agripada). They organised their land
revenue by !!reating r~tras (large district) divided into
v¥ayas and griimas. Each village was under the charge
25. Bhandarkar, op. cit., p. 16o; Altekar, op. cit., p. 417.
26. Ibn Haukul in Elliot, I, 34 and 38, as cited in Bombay· City
Co:r., II, p. 12 n s.
26
 ANCIENT -BOMBAY

'Of Pattakil (modern Patil) or headman. They construct-

ed a Rajapatha (king's high road) a little north of Bhan-
dup which followed the same line as the present Bombay
Thana Road. The inscriptions of the Silaharas show that
both Pathare and Kayastha Prabhus, and Yajurvedi
Brahrn.ai_las with other castes connected with them had
settled in Bombay in those days.
After its inclusion in the kingdom of Devagiri North
Konkan was governed by a viceroy appointed by the
. Devagiri King. It appears that in 1272 A.D. Maha-
pradhana (Chief Minister) Acyuta Nayaka was governing
the province of Sashti (Salsette) as viceroy of Ramadeva,
who succeeded his uncle Mahadeva of Devagiri in 1271
A.D. Kr~'.'a, a Brahmai_la of Bharadvaja gotra was
Ramadeva's viceroy for the whole Konkan in 1290 A.D.
The invasion of Devagiri by Ala-ud-din Khilji in 1294 ·
A.D. is a well-known incident. After his defeat at the
hands of Ala-ud-din Ramadeva sued for peace on pay-
ment of heavy annual tribute to the Emperor of Delhi.
Ramadeva had two sons, Sankaradeva and Bhlma-
deva (or Bimbadeva, or Bhillamadeva). The second
.son appears to have established himself as ruler of North
Konkan after the defeat of Ramadeva. Old Marathi and
Persian records and Sanads show that after firmly esta-
blishing his power in North Konkan, king Bhimadeva
made Mahi-Mahim (Bombay-Mahim) as the capital and
divided the country into 15 mahiils or districts compris-
ing 1624 villages. The Bimbakhyiina (an old Marathi
work) 27 states that Bimbadeva came to Konkan via Ana-
2'i· Published in a lithographed edition by R. P. Rane. Bombay,
1877.•

27
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

hilavada in 1216 Saka (1294 A.D.). He found the island

of Mahim almost uninhabited and ordered its colonisa-
tion. Pleased with the charming scenery of the island
he caused a royal palace and several houses to be erected
there for accommodating the whole retinue who had ac-
companied him from Devagiri through fear of the Maho-
medan invasion of Devagiri and Anahilavada. He-
bl·ought with him from Paithan nine families of Yajur-
vedi Brahmal)as of Madhyandina Sakha, and 66 other
kulas (families) from Paithan, Champaner and other·
places. These comprised 27 families of Siiryavam5is, 7 of
S~avamsis, 5 of Paficalas, 7 of Kunbis and Agris, one-
of Dasa Lad, one Visa Lad, one Lad, one Mod, one Dasa
Mod, one VJsa Mod.
The Bimbiikhyana gives an account of the advent of
Bimbashah in North Konkan, and of the people who ac-
companied him. Most of the dates, however, are in-·
accurate, and some statements are so conflicting that their
testimony cannot be accepted as reliable or correct un-
less corroborated by independent evidence. There are
at least three different versions of the history of
Bimba, and at least six varying statements on particular
points.
The statement in the Bimbiikhyiina. that the king
gave the village of Pahad to the Raja Purohita Kavale is
confirmed by a Persian firman issued by Nawab Chanda-
khan, Subba of Damaun in 901 A.H. (1495 A.D.). The
firman states that Bimbashah hearing of the defeat of
his father Ramadeva at the hands of Ala-ud-din Khilji
fled with Rajaguru Purushottam Pant Kavale and eleven.
Umaraos by sea shore, and captured the Parnera fort and

28
 ANCIENT BOMBAY
. .
Daman, Shirgaon, etc.-the territory from Parner to
Ashtagar. While administering Mahi-Mahim (Bombay)
he divided the country into twelve districts and donated
the district of Malad and some villages from Pahad to
.Rajaguru Kavale. The Bimbiikhyana further states that
the king gave the village Paspavli (Palsavli) to his
Senadhipati and Kulaguru, Gangadhara Pant Nayak,
whose family appears to have been in high esteem with
the Devagiri kings, as one Acyuta Nayaka, as we have
seen, was governing Salsette as the viceroy.
A Persian patent about the year 1436 A.D. bearing
the seal of Muhammad Dalil Diwan of Sultan Alauddin
of Bidar records that in Salivahana year 1212 (1290 A.D.)
Raja Bimbashah took possession of the country from
Karsan (who, in all probability, was the Brahma'.'a
Kr!'.'a of Bharadvaja gotra, in charge of North Konkan as
.Ramadeva's viceroy, as already stated).
With the advent of Bhimadeva and his followers be-
gins the history of the growth and colonisation of Bom-
bay. He found the island of Mahim mostly inhabited by
' Kolis and other lower castes. It was full of Babul trees
and the shrines of Walukeshwar and Mumbadevi were
the only ancient places of interest. The king changed
the name of the island then known as Newale or Baradbet
to Mahikiivati (or Mahim) and ordered the plantation of
coconut and other trees, and built several temples, in-
eluding one in honour of his family deity Prabhiivati or
Prabhiidevi. He made Mahikavati his capital, and erected
a palace and several houses, as already stated. A Diina-
patra (chartet· of gift) issued by him in Saka 1221 (1299
A.D.) granting the rights of Sardesai and Sardeshpande

29
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

to Rajaguru Purushottampant Kavale on the occasion of

solar eclipse shows that Konkan contained fourteen
Parganiis or <listricts and two kasbas or sub-divisions.
and that the Parganii of Mahim comprised seven
hamlets. King Bimba or Bhimadeva <lied in Saka 1225
(1303 A.D.) and was succeeded by his son Pratapabimba.
or Pratapadeva.
This semi-misty King Bimba or Bhima was the
founder of Bombay. Some scholars, however, identify
this Bimba or Bhimadeva with a Solanki Bhimaraja of
Anahilawad. Da Cunha states that Bhimaraja of Gujarat
after his defeat in 1024 A.D. by Mahmud of .Ghazni at
Somnath fled from the country along with his colony from
Patan and settled at Mahim. 28 But history tells us that
iirunediately after the departure of Mahmud and his
army Bhimaraja returned to his country, rebuilt the
Somnath temple in stone in place of the original wooden
one destroyed by Mahmud; and after a few years sub-
dued the Chief of Abu and ruled at Anahilawad till his
death in 1064 A.D. The silence of the Prabandhacintii-·
ma~i and DvyiiJraya-kavya which record the minutest
details of the reigns of Calukya kings of Anahilawad,
about such an important event as the conquest and colo-·
nisation of Konkan by Bhimaraja (Calukya or Solanki)
with people from Gujarat is significant. It definitely goesc
against the identity of Bhimaraja with the coloniser of
Konkan. The Silaharas were the rulers of Konkan at the

28. Origin of Bombay, JBBRAS, Extra No., 1900, p. 39. Dr~

V. D. Rao has also considered the identity of Raja Bimba whom
he takes to be the second son of king R.amadeva of Devgiri (Pro-
ceedings of the Indian History Congress, X, pp, 516·21 ).
 ANCIENT BOMBAY

time of Mahmud's invasion, and the only king of Solanki

dynasty who successfully attacked Konkan was Kumara-
piila, as already described. Another Bhlmariija of the
Solankis (1178-1241 A.D.) was very weak, and his king-
dom was gradually divided between his powerful minis-
ters and chiefs. He was, moreover, a nominal ruler for
a number of years between 1209 and 1226 A.D., probably
in Saurii!\l'a. All this shows that he cannot be associated
with the conquest and colonisation of Konkan, from the
powerful Silahara kings, Apararka and Ke~ideva. No-
connection, therefore, can be established between Bhima,
the .eonqueror of Konkan, and the Solankis. 29 On the
other hand, it is definitely known that towards the close
of the 13th century, the whole of the northern Konkan
was under the suzerainty of the Yadavas of Devagiri, and
it was governed by viceroys appointed by the Yadava
kings. The traditions of the Prabhus, Panchakalasis,
and Palashikar Brahmal)as distinctly maintain that they
came from Paithan with King Bhimadeva, son of Rama-
deva of Devagiri, when invaded by Ala-ud-din Khilji.
About Pratapabimba (or Pratapshah), the son and

29. In the introduction to his edition of "Mahik3.vatici Bakhar"

(in Marathi), Poona, Saka 1846, Rajawade states that king Pra-
t3.pa of the Bimha feudatories of the Calukyas at Champaner con-
ouercd the western coast between Daman and Walukeshwar in Saka
in62 (1140 A.D.), and founded his capital at Kelve-Mahim. There-
after Prat3.pa invited numerous families of Br3.hmanas and other
castes from Paithan and Champaner to settle in the newly conquered
land. This Bimba family ruled till Saka 1216 ( 1294 A.D.) when
Bimbadeva or Bhimadeva of the Yadava family wrested the Konkan
territories, and established his capital at Mahikavati, Bombay-Mahim.
It is difficult to accept the historicity of the earlier Bimba family
proposed by Rajawade. For a critical account of the various versions-
of Bimbiikhst111a .and different identifications of Bimba, cf. Rao's.
paper referred to earlier.

31
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

-successor of Bimbadeva, nothing of importance is record-

ed except that he built another capital at Marol in Sal-
sette, and called it Pratappur, which is still preserved in
the deserted village Parjapur or Pardapur near the centre
of Salsette. The garrison of Mubarak, Emperor of Delhi,
occupied Mahim and Salsette in 1318 A.D. after annexing
Dcvagiri. Marathi records, however, show that Maho-
medan supremacy was not firmly established then, as
Pratapshah is said to have reigned for 28 years, i.e. till
1331 A.D., when he was defeated and killed by his
brother-in-law Nagardev, chief of Cheul. Nagardev
usurped the kingdom and ruled for 17 years after which
he was defeated and deprived of his dominions by the
Mahomedan rulers of Gujarat in 1347-48 A.D. Oppres-
sion and atrocities by Nagardev's favourite Bhagadchuri
are stated to have brought about Nagardev's downfall,
and the immediate cause happened to be the machination
of a disgraced Sardar, Nathrao Sindha Bhongle, who ap-
proached the Muhammedan officer of Wadnagar, and sud-
denly attacked Mahim. In the absence of Nagardev who
had gone to Walukeswar for worship, his queen defended
the palace, but was slain and the palace was looted.
N agardev later gathered his forces and attacked i:he
enemy at Byculla. He was defeated and killed, and thus
ended the sovereignty of the Hindu kings over the island
of Bombay and its dependencies.
Now we shall briefly deal with the inhabitants of
Bombay during the Hindu Period. According to the
Puraryas and the Mahabharata, as already indicated, the
residents of Aparanta, which corresponds to North Kon-
. kan only in its restricted sense, included the Abhiras,

32
 ANCI,ENT BQMBAY

:>udras, etc. some of whom were the successors of th~

l{olis who appear to have been ~e earliest inhabital).ts
of Bombay. Fishermen 11nd punters of the Stone Age
w~re probably . the forefathers of these Kolis. Though
pressed and engulfed by suc.cessive waves o.f invaders
.and ~ttlers, the Koli is still amongst us, due, p.o doubt,
.to hi!; Pllturru sturdiness. Various derivations have been
.suggested for the word Koli: e.g., ~rom Sanskrit Kola
(hog) as hog-killer, or Kula (family) as clansman; or
from Mundar Horo or Koro, man, or Ko!, boat. The
.derivation from an old Dravidian root signifying agri-
culture appears most satisfactory in view of the Dravi-
dian connections of these people. Ethnologically Kolis
belong to the Dravidian or Negrito type, dolichocephalic,
with thick and broad nose.
Among the important divisions of the ;Kolis may be
mentioned Son-Kolis who are found along the Thana
coast. The p~efix is reminiscent of Sron or Son Aparanta
which denoted North Konkan in Buddhist legend, and
perhaps bears some connection with Son or Son:;~g signi-
fying Yavana or Greek in Southern India. Meta Kolis
were l4e earliest colonists of this islap.d who fished in
these waters and ,til.J,ed the .soil. In contrast to ~.ther
divisions who have lent their p.ames to localities, Dongri
Kolis get th.eir naJ;Ile from Dongri, .the h.ill trac.t in one of
th.e H,eptanesia.
Locru nomenclature of mode:.:n place names in Bc>m-
bay shows .that .the ;Kolis occupied practically alllo~alities
in .the ~ev;~ ,i,slands. rJ>e .name of ~e .tw~ soutllem
islands, ;Kolaba 1(Kola-,bhat, .:l{ol,i estllte), in,dic,.tes .the
existence - of Kolis .tlle,re. lYland.vi
-' -
Ko]iyadi
. '.,
and Pollgri

3
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

Kolivada on the third island, as also Cave! (Kol-war, Koli

hamlet) included in the Dhobi Talao, receive their names
from Kolis; Mug-bhat (landed estate of Mung) is the
estate of one Mung, Koli. Mazgaon (Machchgaon, fish
village) and Ghodapdev (from Khadak-dev, rock god)
in the fourth island show Kolis as fishermen. The northern
islands also have Koliwadi each in Mahim and Sion, re-
miniscent of the Kolis.
Later, the Kolis got their deities incorporated into·
the Aryan fold, and the Briihmat:>as invested the Kolis
with a pedigree reaching the Lunar Dynasty. They wor-
ship demons and spirits as also family and village dt!ities,
and offer fowls to the spirit of the dead. Disease is
interpreted as demoniac possession. During the Sata-
vahana period the Kolis probably had communications
with the mainland.
Though the Agris themselves claim only a later con-
nection with this island, long after the Kolis and other'
non-Aryans, anthropological evidence shows that they
settled in Thana District in pre-historic times. The suffix
pada to their name in Agripada has an old Dravidian ele-
ment. The Agris however, are on a much higher level
than Kolis, Katkaris, Thakurs and other aboriginal tribes_
They follow agriculture and manufacture salt.
The various dynasties that ruled Bombay brought
in their "train people from Maharii!!I"a, Gujarat and the ·
South. The names of Maurya, Calukya, Silahara and
Yadava dynasties survive respectively in More, Cholke,
Shelar and Jadhav. Thana, Sopara and Kalyan were
great sea ports since ancient days, and the Arabs were in
contact with these places and settled there. Samavedis
....
'34
 ANCIENT BOMBAY

and Govardhanas were the early Brahmal)a residents.

The priests of the Satavahanas were the Sukla Yajurvedi
Brahmal)as. Kayastha Prabhus appear to have resided
in North Konkan in the Silahara period. The legendary
tales in the Sahyiidri-kha'!t!a connecting them with the
kings of the Solar Dynasty have no historical value. The
Prabhus from Paithan who accompanied king Bhimadeva
and were known as Pathare Prabhus, appear to have con-
nection with the Pratihara kings. Under the Silaharas
the Western coast witnessed, as we have seen, the coloni-
sation of diverse foreigners, such as Jews, Christians,
Parsis, Mahommedans, etc.
1'here was a great exodus of people of various castes
with the Yadava king Bhimadeva or Bimba, the founder
of Bombay. Foremost among the four main classes were
the Prabhus, who aided Bhimadeva to build the Prabhii-
devi temple, to divide the kingdom into Mahals (districts)
and Paravadis (hamlets), fostered trade, settled disputes,
and supervised public affairs. With these came the
Brahmal)as, who were also astrologers and doctors and
belonged to the Madhyandina Sikha of Sukla Yajurveda.
They were later called Palashikar Brahmal)aS from Pala-
savli, which they made their home. There were also Se~a­
vamsis or Bhandaris, the palm-juice tappers (Sanskrit
Ma'!tforaka, distiller) in the retinue of Bhimadeva. One of
the Bhandari sects .is called Kirpal, allowed to make use
of Hindu rites after their reconversion. Bhandaris, with
Vadvals and Malis who came at this time, initiated cultiva-
tion introducing various fruit and flower bearing plants
that have lent their names to portions of-modern Bombay.
Munmala (Madmala, orchard of coco-palms) which was

35
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

in •Mahim woods, owed its origin to the Bhandaris. In

Bhimadeva's wake came also warriors and craftsmen, the
Somaval]lsi K~triyas or Panch-kalshis, including Sutars,
Vadvals, and Malis, carpenters. husbandmen, and gar-
deners. They derive their descent from .Siirya Naray~a
(Sun-god). The colony of Somaval]lsis or Panch-kalshis
was near Parel. Among the lower classes in Bhimadeva's
retinue were the Thakurs .(petty office1·s in the army)·
and Bhoirs or Bhois (palanquin bearers). Both ·have left
their names in Thakurwadi and Bhoiwada.
We may conclude this sketch of the Hindu Period
with a short account of the important old temples.
The temple·of Mumbadevi, the patron deity of Bom-
bay, from whom the city received its name, stands at
present near Pydhuni. On the cession of the island to
the British in 1661 A.D. the temple was said to be stand-
ing on .the .Esplanade in its pristine glory untainted by
the bands of Mahommedan or Christian iconoclasts;
but this is not correct as shown later. The Bimbii-
khyii1uL refers to the temple of Mumbiidevi in the central
island. There are two ·traditions connected with the
foundation of the Mumbiidevi temple. The first . asso-
ciates it with Mung, a Koli fisherman, who· erected it
over 500 years ago on Esplanade, and called it Mungaci
Amba; which .was later contracted into Devi Mumbiii or
Mumbai. The other is ·from the Mumbadevi-miihat.mya,
which states ihat .the giant Mumbiiraka, who was punish-
ed by the goddess .prayed to her, and chose as a boon the
naming .of •the temple :in their .joint names. Mumbaraka
is, no doubt, the Pathan king <If Delhi, who !Pf!l'SCCUted
Hindus during ohis ·invasion of this p!U't. Both these der.i-

ao
 ANCIENT BOMBAY

vations, however, do not explain the name o£ the deity.

The original temple was probably destroyed when
Mubarak overran these islands about the year 1320. It
was evidently rebuilt later, and stood near Fansi Talao
on the Esplanade where the present Victoria· Terminus
stands. The government purchased the Esplanade site
of the temple as it was required for fortifications and
defence, and the shrine was removed to its present site
in 1737 (or 1766) A.D. The temple was built by the
Maratha goldsmith Pandurang Shivaji. The Mumbo.devi
Tank is a later construction built in 1830 A.D. at the
expense of Putlibai, a Bania lady.
The temple is without any architectural grace. On
one side of the tank there are fourteen chapels, each
containing the image of deity with all its religious para-
phernalia. On the opposite side is a row of chambers
· for priests or ministers. There are two Dipamalas in
front of the shrine of Mumba.
The temple of Prabhadevi (or Prabhavati) the family
deity of Patane Prabhus is next in importance to Mum-
badevi in age and sanctity. The present temple is situat-
ed at Mahim, and was built in Samvat 1771 (1715 A.D.)
by the members of the Patane Prabhu caste. The origi-
nal temple was said to have been at Kotwady, which was
destroyed by the Portuguese. To save the image from
desecration the Prabhus threw it in a step-well close to
the present temple. After thus lying in water for over
two hundred years, the deity appeared in the dream of
the Prabhu owner of the land in 1739 A.D. and the
temple was erected. Besides Prabhadevi, there are
images of Sitaladevi, Khokladevi, and others.

37
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAI"D CITY

The temple of Gamdevi also known as Lilavatl, is one

of the oldest, dedicated to the village goddess of that
part of the island where it is situated. A Prabhu named
Bapuji Mhatre, who dreamt of the existence of the
image, brought it down from the rocks of the Malabar
Hill in 1661 A.D. Another Prabhu, Balaji Bhikaji, built
the temple. The temple is resorted to by Prabhus,
Vadvals, and Sutars.
The Walukeshwar temple at the Malabar Point is
the only monument in Bombay of the Silaharas. _The
teinple was apparently destroyed by Mubarak in. one of
his raids or by the Portuguese. Its remains consist of
pillars or their caps, statues, carved stones, etc. A
triform (Trimiirti) head, 2 ft. square and 18 in. thick
similar to the famous Trimiirti at Elephanta, was found
at this site underground. It is at present in the India
House Museum. Near Walukeshwar temple is the Shri
Gundi (Lucky Stone), where pilgrims resorted for·the
purpose of regeneration. The legend connected with the
Walukeshwar temple associates its foundation with Rama,
an avatiira (incarnation) of Vish(IU.

38
 III

BOMBAY UNDER IVIUSLIM RULE

The west coast of India was not unfamiliar to the

Arab merchant. Arab expeditions sent to India in the
7th and 8th centuries had met with good reception from
the Silahar Kings in North Konkan. The friendly treat-
ment meted out to them and tolerance shown to their
religion encouraged the early Arab and Persian settlers
_to spread along the coast line, inter-marry with the Hind~
population and give rise to a new community the
'Nawaits' who are ancestors of the Konkan Musalmans.
They lived peacefully in coastal towns · under Hindu
kings.
Muslim rule made its first appearance in Bombay
in the beginning of the 14th century. Sultan Mubarak,
Alauddin Khilji's successor, sent his armies south, one of
which entered Konkan, overran Salsette and Bombay
and committed great atrocities on the island population
to have earned for him the epithet 'Mumbarak Rakshasa'
in the Mumbadevi Mahatmya. The tide receded leaving
behind wrecked hamlets and ruined temples. The
Muslims again returned in 1347 on the invitation of a
.disgruntled chieftain in Nagarshah's country, slew the
King and plundered Mahim. But the hold of the Delhi
Sultans over this distant outpost was precarious. It was
not until the establishment of an independent Muslim
Kingdom in Gujarat that Bombay came under the firm
grip of Muhammedan rule. During the reign of Sultan

39.
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

Ahmed of Gujarat (1411-1431) a Gujarat noble of renown

was posted for some years at Mahim. He instituted a
proper survey of the land and did much to improve the
existing revenue system.
He did not have a peaceful time; the Bhandaris of
the island revolted and succeeded in holding the island
for some time. Besides, the Bahamani rulers of the
Deccan who had now extended their sway to Salsette,
and later their younger branches, would not allow the
Gujarat Sultans to hold the outlying island of Bombay
unchallenged. Obstinate battles were fought between
the monarchies of Gujarat and Deccan for the possession
of the island throughout the 15th century. The Gujarat
Sultans however succeeded iri maintaining their hold
over the island till it was wrested from them by the
Portuguese in the beginning of the 16th century.
The salient feature of the Muslim period is that the
island served purely as a military post for the possession
of which the land Powers of the Deccan and Gujarat
fought on several occasions throughout the 14th and 15th
centuries. The internal administration remained with
the local Hindu chieftains. The legacies of hundred and
fifty years of Muslim domination of Bombay are firstly,
the shrine of saint Makhdum Fakih Ali at Mahim and
secondly the commu,nity of cthe Konkani Musalmans,
who in their language and customs are very near the
Konkani Hindu. The bulk of the Muhammedan popula-
tion, Khojas, Bohras, Pathans, Sidis, Mughals and others
are later immigrants to Bonil:iay coming after th~ estab~
lishment of British supremacy.
The original home of the Konkani Muhammedans or
 BOMBAY UNDER MUSLIM RULE

Nawaits was at Mahim. On the advent of the Portuguese

a large number of them came over to Bombay proper
and settled on land subsequently included within the
fort. They were good sea-faring people and followed the
profession of ship-masters-Nakhodas--ship's officers and'
sailors. They came under the suspicion of the E. I. Com-
pany in the days of Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan and
were removed outside the fort walls. They were given
building sites outside the areas north-west of the present
CraWford Market. The locality even at present is a
stronghold of Muslims.
 IV
BOMBAY UNDER THE PORTUGUESE

The discovery of the direct sea route to India by the

·Portuguese at the end of the 15th century ushered a new
factor in Indian politics the future results of which few
could foresee. The Westerner who was to dominate the
situation later, appeared on the scene. Vasco da Gama
rounded the Cape of Good Hope and arrived at Calicut
in 1498. It was no mere spirit of adventure that had
lured the Portuguese navigators to brave the dangers of
the unknown. Their main objects in coming to India
were, as Da Gama declared, to seek Christians and
spices, to spread the message of the Gospel and to cap-
ture the commerce of the East, so long the monopoly
-of the Arabs then known as Moors. The superior sea-
manship of the Portuguese, their wider experience,
their weapons and daring gave them such decided ad-
vantages over their rivals, (the Moors), as almost to
overwhelm the latter. Within a few years of their
arrival in Indian waters they had seized important out-
posts all along the African coast to the China Sea, from
.Mozambique to Malacca. On the Indian continent they
established themselves in Goa in 1510 and from there
started in pursuit of their enemy. Their fleets sailed
northward to plunder the Gujarat ports visited by him
-and sweep him off the sea.
At the time of the Portuguese descent on the Guja-
.rat coast Bombay was in the possession of Sultan
 BOMBAY UNDER THE PORTUGUESE

Muhammad Shah surnamed Begarah. He allied him-

self with the Sultan of Turkey whose subjects the Moors
were, against the Portuguese, and thus became involved
in hostilities with them. In 1507 an officer of the Gujarat
Sultan defeated a Portuguese fleet near Chaul, but two
years later in 1509 the Musalman fleet was annihilated
in a battle fought off Diu in Kathiawar. It was during
-this expedition that the Portuguese paid their first visit
to the island of Bombay which they repeated in 1517,
1522 and 1524. In 1529 a great battle was fought bet-
ween a Portuguese fleet under Lopo Vaz and that of the
Gujarat Sultan near Bombay. To give his troops rest
after the fighting the Portuguese commander landed
them at _Bombay and because his soldiers found great
crefreshment and enjoyment there, called it "a ilha da boa
vida (Island of the good life)".
The Portuguese visitations became very frequent.
'The Gujarat Sultan, Muhammad Begarah's grandson,
Bahadur Shah, could not shake them off and the Mughals
.had begun to press from the north. Bahadur Shah
found it convenient to come to an agreement with the
Portuguese. By the treaty· concluded _;,ith Nuno da
Cunha on 23rd December 1534, he 'gave and bequeathed
to the King of Portugal from that day forth for ever the
city of Bassein, its territories, islands and seas, with its
revenue in the same way as he, Sultan Bahadur Shah of
Gujarat, held them before.'
The seven islands of Bombay formed an appendage
of Bassein and thus came into the hands of the Portu-
guese and from this date begins Portuguese dominion.
over the island which ended 130 years later when Hum..:

43·
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

phrey Cooke on behalf of King Charles II of England took

charge of it from the Portuguese Governor.
'The land of the island', the Portuguese reported in
1534, 'is very low and covered with great and beautiful
groves of trees. There is much game and abundance
of meat and rice and there is no remembrance of any·
scarcity'. While cocoanut and rice were the staple pro-
ducts of the island, brab, jack fruit, Jambul, Jagoma and
mango also grew in abundance. Sion, Vadalla and Maza-
gaon were noted for their salt pans. The Koli settlement
lived by catching fish in the sea round, drying it upon
rocks and sending it to Ba.Ssein for sale. The Kalis fann-
ed the most numerous class on the island and were scat-
tered all over the seven islands from Colaba to Sion ..
At Mahim was the small settlement of the Konkani
Musulman. There were also the Ku:nbis and Agris,.
agriculturists and salt-pan renders. The Bhandaris who-
had come with Rana Bimba fanned the main stay of the
militia. The Prabhus (Pathare) collected 'the rents of
the King and were also merchants'. Parsis. and Banias
are also mentioned but they were few.
For administrative purposes, the island composed
of seven villages and a few hamlets, was divided in two-
l(asbas or chief stations. Under Mahim came Mahim
proper, Pare!, Sion and Vadalla, while Bombay waS'
fmked with Mazagon and Worli. The total revenue was.
not very big. Bombay which had been rented in the
beginning for about Rs. 300, paid later Rs. 850. ;Mahim
yiefded Rs. 750 and customs brought in about the same
amount (Rs. 800). The four villages of Parel, Vadalla,
Sion and Worli paid the S'mall amount of Rs. 155.

44
 BOMBAY UNDER THE PORTUGUESE

All this was managed on a feudal basis. Lands and

estates were granted as fiefs or manors for which the
.holder paid a nominal rental of 4 to 10 per cent, .the
leases being renewable either yearly .or triennially or in
some cases for a period of one .to three lives. For very
distinguished services and in cases where the grantees
were religious fraternities the -lands were handed over
in perpetuity. In return,. the King of Portugal claimed
military service from the tenant which might be commut-
ed into a tax at the discretion of the authorities.
The Portuguese showed themselves poor traders.
They do not appear to have .understood the natural ad-
vantages of the situation and port facilities of the island
and dld nothing to develop it as a great trading centre.
The way they administered their Indian Dominion did
not conduct to its prosperity ·and contentment. A mere
handful of Europeans .they · dreamed of turning their
conquest into a Christian land. Within a few years of '
their acquisition of the island of Bassein and its .depen-
dencies, Franciscan, Jesuit and Dominican missions des-
cended on the new conquests and commenced their work
of bringing their heathen subjects into their fold. The
revenues that 'had .been assigned .for ·the maintenance of
mosques were, under pressure from .the clergy, made. over
to the missions for .their .benefit. ·Large scale conver-
sionswere.effected in Bassein, Thana, Mandapeshwar and
other places and Bombay did not escape the proselytis-
ing .zeal of the .clergy. Churches and chapels .rose all
<Over the island and were richly·endowed from confiscated
.revenues ·and .lands. :St. Michael's :Church ;built at
Mahim ·is ihe oldest Franciscan ·building .in ~mbll¥. A

45
 . THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

chapel was erected at Sion in 1596 and affiliated to St-

Michael's Church and in the same year another church,
the Church of Nossa Senhora da Salvacao, was built at
Dadar. For the benefit of their parishioners at Cave! the
Portuguese built the Church of Nossa Senhora de Espe-
ranca on the Esplanade. And yet another church went
up at Pare! which later was converted into Government
House by the East India Company.
By 1580 the Jesuits and Franciscans had obtained.
practical control of Salsette, Mahim, Bombay and
Karanja. They were residents in every town. These
Roman Catholic Ecclesiastics earned larger revenues than.
even the King of Portugal, lived sumptuously and wield-
ed an influence greater than the King's representative.
The Archbishop of Goa sensing the evil wrote to the King
in 1629 "the greatest enemies to the state in India were
her own people, and among all the enemies of Portugal
from within, none probably did greater harm than the
Jesuits".
By the close of the 16th century the bulk of the land
in Bombay and Mahim had fallen into the hands of the
religious orders. The Jesuits owned the largest share·
and were virtually the proprietors of all the northern
areas, Mahim, Dadar, Matunga, Sion, Sewri and PareL
·They were intolerant towards other Faiths and persist-
ently destroyed Hindu temples and Muhammedan.
mosques. The old temple of Walukeshwar built by the
Silahara kings was cast down. So also shrines of Maha-
lakshmi and her sisters disappeared from the island to·
return under British regime. A general flight of the local
populatio~ ·continued throughout the hundred years of the

46
 BOMBAY UNDER THE PORTUGUESE

Portuguese rule and thus dried the fountain source from.

which the island's material prosperity could have sprung.
The little value King Charles placed on the island when.
he exchanged it with the East India Company can be
judged from the small amount of £10 agreed to as yearly
rent!
Portuguese writers love to dwell on the liberalising
·influence of Portuguese rule in Bombay, the education.
they spread among their subject people, the improve-
ments in agriculture they effected, and the great service
they did to their British successors in supplying them
personnel for their administrative services. One looks in·
vain for evidence to support these claims in the reports
of the early Governors and Factors of East India.
Company.

47
 v
MODEP.l~ BOMBAY

Bombay has attained its present greatness un~r

British rule. In its association with the British lasting
over almost three centuries it has developed jnto the
urbs prima in Indis-the beautiful city that it is now.
It is truly the Gateway of India, as through its port
enter nearly three-quarters of those who visit this coun-
try and of the goods imported in it.
English adventurers.appeared in Indian waters before
the sixteenth century had ended; on 31 Dec. 1600 was
granted a charter to "the Governor and Company of Mer-
chants of London Tl·ading into the East Indies"; in 1613
by permission of Emperor Jehangir an English factory was
established at Surat. The Portuguese strenuously opposed
the establishment of the English Company in India, but
were beaten off in great sea-fights of Swally Hole in 1612
and. 1615. Within a few years other English factories
were started at Agra, Ahmedabad and Broach and far-
ther afield.
It was natural that Bombay with its splendid harbour
should attract the attention of English seamen: In 1625
the Court of Directors of the East India Company sug-
gested that the Company should take Bombay and in the
following year a joint English and Dutch expedition
from Surat descended on the island and landed 400 men
who burnt and pillaged the Portuguese town and then
·withdrew without attempting to retain possession. The
 MODERN BOMBAY

attempt was not renewed, but in 1652 the Surat Council

exasperated by the way they were being treated by
Mughal authorities, began to think of moving elsewhere
·on the coast, and started negotiations with the Govern-
ment of Goa for the purchase of Bombay and Bassein.
In England too the Directors of the Company approached
the Protector with a request that the island be acquired
for the Company, drawing attention to its excellent har-
bour and its natural isolation from attacks by land. The
question was discussed from time to time, but bore no
results. Eventually the Company took over the island
after it had come to Charles II as part of the dowry of
Catherine of Braganza.
By the marriage treaty between Charles II and the
Infanta Catherine of Portugal on 23rd June 1661 the
port and island of Bombay were ceded to the King of
Britain, his heirs and successors for ever. In 1662 the
Earl of Marlborough came to Bombay to take possession
of the island from the Portuguese Viceroy, but the local
agents refused to surrender the place and the Earl had
to depart without achieving his object. The Portuguese
resorted to· all sorts of excuses for postponing the deli-
very of the island. The final orders for delivering the
island to the King of Britain were ·received in January
1665. In the month before the cession the Viceroy of Goa
wrote to the King the prophetic words, "I foresee the
great troubles that will result to the Portuguese from this
neighbourhood and that India will be lost on the same
day on which the English nation is settled in Bombay."
On 18th Feb. 1665, Humphrey Cooke took personally the
possession and delivery of the island of Bombay.

49
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

What Humphrey Cooke inherited on behalf of the

King of England was neither a great trading centre nor
a strong military outpost. It was just a tropical island
or rather a group of them, covered with cocoanut groves
and rice fields. Cooke did not know what its exact area
was. He was told he could not claim in the cession
Mahirn and its dependent villages Sion, Vadalla, Dharavi.
The 'Quinta' or the Manor House behind the present
Town Hall with four brass guns formed the only defence
against the 'Malabars' who were accustomed to seize
cattle and depopulate whole villages. To the south-west
of the House was open ground corresponding to the
present Esplanade. This open ground merged gradually
into oarts or plantations of cocoanut trees which stretch-
ed as far as Malabar Hill and further upto the foot of the
Mahalakshmi hill. Scattered among the palms were
small villages, Cavel (Koli-var), Kalikadevi or Kalbadevi
and the hill village of Girgaum, composed for the most
part of rude palm-roofed huts. To the north of the
Great House was a small congeries of rude dwellings and
a custom-house or Mandvi. Further north was the
Dongri hill marked by fishermen's huts, which was sepa-
rated from Mazagaon by the Umarkhadi or fig tree creek.
Hard by was Pydhoni or Footwash. Both the creek and
the Footwash owed their existence to the great breach
between the island of Worli and the northern limits of
the Malabar Hill through which the sea rushed in at high
tide and submerged the low lying tract.
The most important of Bombay's dependencies was
Mazagaon, 'a great fishing town peculiarly notable for a
fish called bumbalo, the sustenance of ·the poorer class.'

50
 MODERN BOMBAY

The Franciscans possessed a church and monastery here,

the Portuguese owned houses and the Bhandalis and
Kolis living in the locality manured palms, distilled liquor,
fished and ori holidays attended the temple of Khadakdev.
North of Mazagaon and separated from it by sea was
Pare! with its wadis and rice fields and a large church.
Sewli and Naigaon were then too insignificant to be men-
tioned. The island of Worli beyond contained a small
fort and hut settlement of the fisherfolk.
Wliting of the island the new Administrator report-
ed that "it is a very pleasant place and a good ayre but
it yieldeth at present nothing but a great quantity of
cocoanuts and rice with other provisions". He found
that in the island there was neither "Government nor
Justice", and the Jesuit sorely tried him.
Cooke though no Administrator knew what. he
needed. He desired the island to be made independent
of its unfriendly neighbours and as a first step sei7ed
Mahim saying that it formed a part of the island of Bom-
bay. He made the Roman Catholics in the island take
an oath by which they denied the jurisdiction of the
Supreme Pontiff and Head of the Church. Protest and
refusal were met with confiscation of property and ex-
pulsion from the island. The Portuguese were very sore
and loudly complained to the King. Cooke's invitation
to native merchants and artisans and his defence acti_-.
vities roused the jealousy of the Mughal officer ·at Surat:
who feared loss of his revenue. There ·is therefore little
surprise that Cooke fell foul of the Portuguese and
Mughal authorities. Cooke was soon superseded by Sir
Gervase Lucas and on the latter's death by Henry Gray.

51
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

The Crown Representatives in Bombay indulged in pri-

vate trading and the privilege of granting passes in the
King's name to native vessels; they also provoked hosti-
lities with the Mughal Government for which the East
India Co. were held responsible. This was resented at
Surat and led to continuous friction between the Factors
at Surat and the King's agents in Bombay and in the end
led to the transfer of Bombay to the Company.
In London the King's ministers soon found out that
Bombay would in time of peace "put the King to a great
charge and in time of war it would not quit the cost of
keeping it." This prompted the King to be rid of the
island and after negotiations, the bargain was struck.
Charles II who was always in want of money, was glad to
be rid of the place and get a loan of £50,000 at 6 per cent
in return for the transfer. The instrument of transfer is
contained in Letters Patent, dated 27 March 1668, by
which King Charles II declared the East India Company,
"the true and absolute Lords and Proprietors of the Port
and the island", the Company, "their successors, and as-
signs for evermore to be holden of us, our heirs and suc-
cessors, as of the Manor of East Greenwich in the county
of Kent, in free and common soccage and not in capite,
nor by Knight's services" at the yearly rental of £10
payable to the Crown. The inhabitants were to enjoy
the free exercise of the Roman Catholic religion; the
Company were to make laws and see them enforced;
persons born in the island were to be reckoned natural
subjects of Great Britain; the powers granted by this
charter were to apply to any other territory in the East
Indies which the Company might acquire.

52
 MODERN BOMBAY

Sir George Oxenden, as President of Surat became

the first Governor of Bombay under the Company, the
transfer of the island taking place in September 1668.
The revenue of the island was at that time estimated at
£2,833 per ;mnum and the Company in London hoped it
would become "a port for the exportation and importa-
tion of goods and persons to and from Persia, Mokha and
other parts", it was to be the centre of ship-building,
trained bands of militia were to be raised and a colony
of Englishmen was to be established on the island.
Oxenden died in July 1669 and was succeeded as
President of Surat and Governor of Bombay by Gerald
Aungier, a man of great wisdom and foresight who is
justly remembered as the real founder of Bombay.
About the middle of 1672, Aungier shifted his head-
quarters from Surat to Bombay and started his reforms
that were to change the face of the island. The English
Law was proclaimed superseding the Portuguese, a Court
of Judicature was established and a Court-house was
built. A town was lined out. Other innovations of more
or less importance were the establishment of a mint, the
improvement of the fortifications, the building of a small
hospital, the creation of panchayats for settling disputes
among local communities, the opening of a printing press.
By way of increasing the population and developing the
resources of the island Aungier made attempts to esta-
blish manufactures.
Two other measures devised by him for the pros-
perity of the island deserve to be mentioned. These
were the introduction into the island of two powerful
mercantile elements and the famous compact entered into

53
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

by Government with the inhabitants regarding their

estate~. Both these measures· were dictated by a bold
and highly honourable policy as proved by the beneficial
results that accrued from them. The first was to allow
the Gujarat Banias, an energetic mercantile community,
to settle in Bombay. In 1671 the Mahaj;m of Surat
Bania community desired the assurance of certain privi-
leges before risking the move to Bombay and the Com-
pany complied with the request. The other class of
merchants treated with civility and friendship was the
Armenians.
The second important measure is what is known as
Governor Aungier's convention which settled the vexed
question of right of land and encouraged settlers to deve-
lop it.
The extent to which Aungier's reforms had succeed-
ed may be judged from the fact that in 1675 the popula-
tion of the island had risen to 60,000-six times to what
it stood under the Portuguese.
Aungier has left a very valuable document which
gives a full description of the island, life of its people and
its government in 1673. A few extracts from it may not
be out of place here.
"The town is divided into the two small shires of
Bombay and Mahim. The former contains the island
Colleo, the towns of Bombay, Mazagon and Parell, with
the several parishes of Pallo (Apollo), Deirao(?), Gregon
(Girgaum), Vall and Mochein(?). The shire of Mahim
contains Mahim, Sion, Daravee and Verlee with the seve-
ral parishes of Salvacaon, St. Michael, etc., precincts.
"The English are employed in trade and in the mill-

54
 MODERN BOMBAY

tia; the Roman Catholic Christians chiefly in planting the

ground, some few in trade, and too many of them as
soldiers in your garrison for pure want of English Protes-
tants to keep watch and defend the island.
"The Moors have several sects and castes. They are
not very numerous as yet, but sensibly increased. Some
few old inhabitants are employed on the lands and others
do buy possessions. Most are employed in trade, supply-
ing the island with provisions, going to sea in ships and
other vessels, as lascars or marines, haberdashers of small
wares, weavers, tailors, bakers, smiths and other handi-
crafts very useful and indispensably necessary to the
island. The Moors have two places of worship, one at
Bombay, the other at Mahim. The latter is the tomb of
one of their famous saints there buried, milch frequented
in the month of October by pilgrimages made thereunto.
"The Jentues comprise Banyans (all traders and
brokers), Brahmans (priests and traders), Purvoos
(Prabhus) (farmers of land and rent-receivers), Sinays
(Shenvis) (cultivators and traders), Bandareens (Banda-
ris), toddy distillers and makers of Arrack called Phoole
Rack (Mhowra spirit), yielding a considerable revenue.
They are also good soldiers, stout, faithful and lovers of
the English); Corambeens (Kunbis) (tillers and mowers
of lands, as well the rice as the cocoanuts); and the
Coolys (Kolis) (general fishermen of the island, yielding
a good revenue to the Company and other useful and in-
dispensable services; these are as it were the Company's
slaves, hardy, unwearied labourers and lovers of the
English; the better sort engage in trade and grow rich).
"Also Percees (Parsis), an industrious people and in-

55
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

genious in trade, wherein they totally employ themselves.

There are at present few of them, but we expect a greater
number having gratified them in their desire to build a
burying place for their dead on the island.
"All provisions and sustenance are procurable at
Bombay, all sorts of com and grain, beef, mutton, veal,
lamb, pork, hens, ducks, geese, fish, etc. Most of these
are brought from the mainland. Owing to increase of
population the price of provisions has doubled.
"The three chief breaches are at Mahalakshmi, bet-
ween Worli and Mahim, and between Mahim and
Dharavee.
"Before the English came the trade was only in
cocoanuts and cairo (coir). Now the country merchants
drive· a great trade with Surat, Broach, Cambay and
Gogo, and also to Dabull, Kelsey, Rajapore and Goa,
to Mocha, Persia, Scinda, Bussora, in salt, cocoanuts,
cairo, betel-nut, rice, elephants teeth (from Mozambique)
broad-cloth, lead, sword-blades and some other Europe
goods. Last year we disposed in Bombay of 600 pieces of
broad-cloth, 3000 maunds of lead, all the perpetuanes and
serges, and all the sword-blades. The trade by sea and
land is interrupted by the Mughal and Sevajee's fleets
and armies. We are trying to open trade with (Junnar?),
Bussora, Scinda and Patan, the Maldives and Malabar
coast.
"The Castle of Bombay lies upon a neck of land bet-
ween two bays; a quadrangular Fort whereof three points
command the port and the two small bays, the fourth with
two of the others commands the town and the plain be-
fore the castle. It is of small circumference and irregu-

56
 . MODERN BOMBAY

larly built, owing to the ignorance of the engineers. The·

landward wall is 27 feet high and 25 feet broad, consisting:
of an outer and inner wall of stone and terraphene of
earth: the two seaward platforms are 20 feet high and
42 feet broad, to carry 36 ordnance besides those on the
bastions. Three bastions are finished, mounted with 50
pieces of ordnance: the seaward bastion is incomplete.
The powder rooms inside will contain two thousand bar-·
rels of powder.
"In the middle of the fort is the Governor's house
built formerly by the Portugais. But since it came into
the Company's hands it hath been much repaired; the·
front is fair and beautiful enough, but the rooms within
are not so well contrived as we could wish either for
lodging or other accommodation. Yet by degrees we are
endeavouring to render it more and more capacious ..
Under the walls are raised lodgings for the soldiers with
the corps on guard.
"The great bay or port is certainly the fairest, largest
and securest in all these parts of India, where a hundred
sail of tall ships may ride all the year safe with good
moorage. In the small bay to the north of the castle
ships of 400 tons have been haled ashore to repair, there
being 15 feet of water at the springs; but this bay hath
been spoiled by those who built the fort, who broke off
the rocks which kept off the violence of the sea and car-
ried away the stones to the fort. We are casting more
stones to keep off the sea and secure the ships. In the
lesser bay to northward of the fort ships of 300 tons may'
be haled ashore. At Mazagon ships of 200 tons may be
haled ashore. For small frigates, gorals and other vessels

57
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

there are very many places.

"The President supervises all foreign and domestic
matters and all trade. The Deputy Governor has charge
Qf treasury, militia garrison and public works. The ac-
countant keeps accounts under garrison, fortifications,
shipping, bandars, building, house-keeping, and super-
vises military stores. The attorney-at-law looks after
the Company's revenues and lands and defends the action
and rights of Government before the law; he acts as a
preventive-officer and as storekeeper to the garrison. The
warehouse keeper takes charge of all goods received and
sold, and has to take steps for increasing the indigenous
trade. The Judge hears all suits and has charge of the
register for probate of wills, etc. All these are in Coun-
cil which meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday every
week from 8 .a.m. to 12 at the toll of the Castle bell.
"The Court of Judicature is held in a room near the
Fort, and two justices of the peace sit with the Judge.
·There are two days a week for civil and one day a month
for criminal matters.
"There are two garrison companies of 200 men
apiece. Of these one hundred are employed in the Com-
pany's frigates, the rest in bands of 75 each garrison the
castle in turn. The guard is relieved every morning
and trained. There are also three companies of militia,
one at Bombay, one at Mahim and one at Mazagon, con-
sisting of Portuguese black Christians. More confidence
can be placed in the Moors, Bandareens and Gentus than
in them, because the latter are more courageous and
.show affection and goodwill to the English Government,
'These companies are exercised once a month at least and

58
 MODERN BOMBAY

serve as night-watches against surprise and· robbery.

"The revenue of the island is 70,000 xeraphins."
Aungier died in 1677. The period following his
death was extremely gloomy for Bombay. The climate
was taking a heavy toll of life and one of the pleasantest
spot in India was no more than "a parish grave-yard, a
eharnel-house, in which two mounssoons were the age
of a man." Men were dying like fleas, and the corres-
pondence of the Co.'s servants is full of complaints of ill-
health and disease.
The chief causes of the general mortality were the
gradual silting up of the creeks, the system. followed by
the native oart-owners of manuring the toddy palms
with putrid fish and in the case of European residents
loose living in which they indulged. The Councjl of
Surat remarked in a letter in 1684, "when men come new
out, drink punch toddy and country beer, besides that
are disordered and tumble on damp ground, it cannot be
expected but diseases must be contracted". The im-
morality of the European civil population of this period
has called forth strong remarks from all visitors and
writers. The native population also suffered severely
from diseases, plague and a storm which raged over the
island in April of 1697.
Meanwhile the trade of Bombay suffered not a little
from the internal feuds and domestic troubles of the Com-
pany. About 1680 private traders or interlopers as they
were styled, commenced to fit out ships, to trade direct
between English and Indian ports with the object of
diverting the Company's trade into their own hands.
They made a serious inroad on the Company's trade. The

59
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

trouble continued for a number of years.

The year 1683 witnessed a serious rebellion upon the
island which accelerated the transfer of the Company's
Government to Bombay in 1687. The pay of the military
was already small; in a fit of economy the Governor
ordered a further cut of 30 per cent. The garrison
resented this niggardly action and under the leadership
of its Commander Capt. Richard Keigwin, threw off its
allegiance to the Company, seized and confined the
Deputy Governor and declared the island was henceforth
to be under the Government of the King. Keigwin show-'
ed himself a determined and capable ruler. He intro-
duced several healthy reforms, put the garrison on a
satisfactory basis, made much progress with the fort and
built small fortifications at Mahim and Sion. At last in
November 1684 on receipt of a free pardon Keigwin hand-
ed over the island to Admiral Grantham and was taken
back to England.
The East India Company had disputes about this time
with the new English Company which obtained charter
from King William in 1698. In January 1700 Sir Nicholas
Waite, President of the new Company, arrived in India
and claimed superior authority over the old Company's
representatives. On his suggestion the President of the
old Company, Sir John Gayer, was seized by the Mughal
Subahdar and kept in confinement for over a year. The
two_ Companies were amalgamated in 1708 which put an
end to the unhealthy rivalry. This contest between the
two Companies adversely affected the growth and pros-
perity of Bombay.
There were besides troublesome neighbours who dis-

60
 MODERN BOMBAY

turbed the tranquillity of the place. The Sidi Admiral

found Bombay a convenient point to land his troops and
raid Maratha territory inland. The Bombay authorities
were powerless against the Sidi, protested in vain against
their territory being used as spring-board for an attack
on the Maratha country and had to suffer great atro-
cities at the hands of the Sidi's undisciplined hordes.
The Sidi was a servant and ally of the Mughal; and
continued to winter in Bombay harbour with impunity.
In 1689 when the English broke off with the Mughal the
Sidi landed at Sewri with 20,000 men and held the island
under occupation for over a year. He left in June of
1690 burning the Mazagaon fort and leaving behind a
deadly pestilence.
Meanwhile the prevalence of piracy in fudian waters
added further checks to the growth of Bombay. Pirates
of various nationalities infested the west coast and made
commerce .hazardous and dangerous. The most daring
and ruthless among them were European pirates. Avery
and· Kidd and their kinsmen were at home in both the
hemispheres and plundered and ravaged whatever ships
came across their way. There were besides the Arab or
Joasmee pirates who confined their activities to the Per-
.sian coast, the Kathiawar pirates who plundered along
the Gujarat coast, the Malabar pirates who swarmed
about the southern coast.
But of all the pirates the English at Bombay dreaded
Kanhoji Angria most. Angria established himself at
Alibag about 18 miles south of Bombay. A brave and
daring commander he claimed that the western seas were
Maratha waters, and all who visited ports established m·

61
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

them were to be taught to respect Maratha sovereignty

and obtain his permission for trading in those waters by
buying his passes. This claim was not a novel one; the
Portuguese always insisted on ships sailing between ports
on the west coast to buy their cartas and Angria was
emulating their example with better justification.
Angria's claim was challenged by the Western Powers
who on account of their important trading interests
found such a demand most galling and injurious to their
commerce. The Maratha's ~trength lay in his vessels of
small burden and row boats which could rapidly sail in
and out of the shallow creeks and made pursuit by the
deep sea sailing vessels difficult. The English merchant-
men sailing in and out of Bombay had an anxious 'time
with Angria's ships prowling about. Many were cap-
tured and lost. The English cajoled Angria, negotiated
with him, threatened him and made war on him. But
for a long time he remained unbeaten and a sore to the
Company. After the death of Kanhoji in 1729 there were
dissensions in his family. The sons of Kanhoji fell foul
of the Peshwa and refused to accept his leadership. The
English' worked on the jealousy of the two parties and
destroyed Angria's navy and forts in 1755-56. The island
was thus rid of the greatest menace which had hung over
it for over half a century.
The Portuguese neighbours of Bombay were like-
wise never friendly towards the English. Aungier had
endeavoured prior to his death to come to an understand-
ing with them, but the proposals had been 1·ejected.
There was constant friction between the two parties-the
Portuguese were suspected of aiding and abetting the

62
 MODERN BOMBAY

interlopers in their nefarious business as also the Sidi

Admiral. Portuguese ships would often seize English
boats. The Jesuits were a troublesome lot. The anta-
gonism which originated with the treaty of 1661 conti-
nued until Chimnaji Appa strode victorious over the
battlements of Bassein in 1739. The Sidi power like-
wise suffered a decline at the hands of the Marathas.
He was driven to the refuge of his island castle, and his
fleet was lost to them (1737).
The fear of pirates and the general insecurity were
reflected in the decline of the commerce of the island and
decrease in its population, about the end of 17th century.
If prosperity . was to return to Bombay, security was
what the place needed most. It was necessary there
should be peace on the mainland with which the island
exchanged its imported goods, safety for the inhabitants
of the island and security for their merchant-vessels ply-
ing on the sea. The first condition was fulfilled by the
establishment of Maratha Power in Salsette. The
long drawn struggle between the Mughals and the
Marathas ended in a complete vic;tory for the latter. The
Marathas became supreme in the Deccan about 1719 and
established peace in their homeland which was not dis-
turbed till 1774 when Raghoba started civil war. The
English of Bombay benefited immensely by this peace..
They very wisely followed the policy of appeasement to-
wards the greatest military state of the day. By friendly
communications and exchange of presents and by insist-
ing on their role of traders, the English rulers of Bombay
allayed the suspicions of the Peshwa's Government and
suffered no molestation whatsoever.· The period of tran-

63
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

·quillity gave Bombay the respite to recoup from the

ravages of the Sidi and to build up a prosperous trade,
-organize its defences and lay foundations of the future
.administration of the province.
The English authorities of Bombay could however
-not always depend on their friendship with the Marathas
.for the safety of the island. From the first day the island
had come in their possession they were discussing its
·defence and devising plans for strengthening it. Humph-
rey Cooke who took possession of the island in 1665 had
.started work on fortifications. Near· the 'Great House' a
large platform 51 yards long wherein could play 18 pieces
had been erected. Cooke also put up a wall to landward of
turf and cocoanut trees on which he made all the island-
-ers to work by turn without pay. This was the beginning
of the famous fort or the Castle of Bombay which was
strengthened from time to time by addition of bastions,
by raising the height of the walls, mounting artillery and
increasing the strength of the garrison. It is described
at a later period (1808) "as a regular quadrangle, well
built of strong stones.". Besides the castle, fortlets at
Mazagaon, Dongri, Sewri, Sion and Mahim protected the
island against surprise.
The Dongri hill to the north which commanded the
fort was fortified about 1700. During the days of war
with the French Engine~rs however reported that
Dongri fort was a potential source of danger; once occu-
pied by an enemy he might batter the wall and lay the
whole town in ashes. As a result the fort and the hill
were subsequently demolished in 1769, the earth being
-used for filling up adjacent batty grounds.

64
 MODERN BOMBAY

But the town was growing round the fort. To se-

cure it a wall was built round and fortified in the
governorship of Charles Boone (1715-1722). The entire
enclosed area later came to be known as fort while the
nucleus of the original fortifications became the castle.
Boone also extended the old dockyard in the fort and
established the Bombay Marine. The period of Anglo-
French rivalry between 1744-1761 coupled with the possi-
bility of commercial rivalry with the Dutch was respon-
sible for further addition to the fortifications. The bastions
of the castle were raised and mounted with powerful artil-
lery. The parapets towards the sea on the flag-staff bas-
tion were faced with brick and masonry. All trees within
12 yards of the outer fort wall were cut down and in
1739 after the occupation of Salsette and Bassein by
the Marathas the principal native merchants subscribed
Rs. 30,000 towards the construction of a ditch round the
fort which was completed four years later. The military
forces were increased by the enrohnent of large numbers
of native troops; the ·dockyard was extended and new
vessels for the Company's marine began to be built under
the supervision of Lavji Nasarwanji Wadia the ship-
builder.
The growth of the Company's political status went
hand in hand with the social and economic development
of the island. The first problem was to render the island
more habitable and encourage immigration. Ambitious
schemes for draining and reclaiming land were under-
taken. The work carried out by Capt. Bates (1727) at
the great Mahalakshmi breach succeeded in holding back
the sea and turning the low lying swamps into cultivable

65
5
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

lands; save for a narrow strip of salt water on the inner

side of the breach firm ground now extended from the·
village of Palav (present Apollo Bundar) to Worli Fort.
and from Malabar Hill to Sion. Communications with
Salsette and the mainland were improved. Roads were
laid out joining the town with Parel, Sion and Mahim.
Native merchants and artisans of all communities were
encouraged to come and settle in the island. By allot-
ment of new areas for building outside the fort in 1746,
by the promulgation of building rules in 1748 and by the
appointment of a member of the Council as Town Sca-
venger in 1757, sanitary administration was introduced
and both Europeans and natives were helped to build
outside the walls. Trade was stimulated by the establish-
ment of a bank in 1720. In 1727 was constituted the
Court of Oyer and Terminer to deal with Crime; next
year a Mayor's Court was established to ,try civil causes
of all kinds. These improvements are reflected in the
increase of the island's population to seventy-five thou-
sand in 1760.
By the end of Anglo-French struggle (1761) Bombay
had been rendered almost impregnable and very com-
pact except for Colaba separated from the main· island
by the tide. The fort was the centre of business and
urban life in virtue of its Docks, its Green, Government
Offices, Court of Justice, Mint and Church, but north of
the outer wall a new town was springing into existence
between Dongri and the shore of Back Bay. The entire
area between the modern Grant Road and the' Bandi-a
creek was under ·cultivation, the inhabitants . living ·in
their wadis and gardens being protected by small forts

66
 MODERN BOMBAY

at Mazagon, Sewri, Worli, Mahim and Sion.

The political history of Bombay from 1775 to 1818 is
concerned almost wholly with the relations subsisting
between the Company and the Maratha Government.
The Anglo-French struggle and the battle of Plassey had
left the British in a strong position in India. They were
now without a European rival on the Indian soil. The
quarrel with Siraj-ud-daula had ended with their obtain-
ing control of the revenues of the richest province in
India. In the south the Company had secured the coastal
strip from Masulipatam to Madras. Only Bombay of the
Company's main factories lagged behind in the race of
acquh·ing territory on the Indian soil. It had carefully
nursed its strength through half a century of undisturbed
peace and was now determined to make a bid for political
power. Its opportunity came when in 1774 dissensions
broke out in the Maratha Government.
William Hornby became Governor of Bombay in
1772 when things began moving. Hornby was an ambi-
tious man who played for high stakes. Taking advantage
of the civil war in the Maratha Government he sent a
force to occupy the neighbouring island of Salsette which
joined Bombay to the mainland and entered into treaty
relations with Raghoba for the cession of several small
islands in Bombay waters and territory on the mainland.
Thus began the war with the Marathas which forty-two
years later ended in the complete overthrow of the
Maratha Government and in making Bombay'supremE!"
in Western India.
The Maratha war was fought in three stages; The
1irst stage lasted from 1774 to 1782. Though English

67
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

gains were inconsiderable their prestige rose high having

withstood the combination of the chief Indian powers ..
The Bombay authorities gained Salsette island and
Karanja as also the islands of Elephanta and Hog which
thus precluded other nations from access to the most
commodious port in India. The twenty years' period of
peace that followed was no better than truce for the
English. The Maratha power further declined, the
Peshwa's authority was on the wane, and no longer cap-
able of controlling the confederate chiefs who fell out
among themselves. When Yeshwant Rao Holkar invaded
the Deccan and seized Poona in 1802, the imbecile Peshwa
fled to the English for protection and by the treaty of
Bassein bartered away his independence and the freedom
of his countt-y. The end was soon in sight. In an effort
to shake off the chains rivetted on him the Peshwa de-
clared war on the English in 1817, was defeated and
driven from his throne. His state comprising practically
the whole of Maharashtra from the Krishna to the Tapti,
was taken over by the Bombay authorities and joined
to their conquests in Gujarat and was made into the
Presidency of Bombay.
These military triumphs and the territorial acquisi-
tions raised the status of Bombay inunensely. From the
position of a factory site it now became the seat of politi-
cal power of the British Government in Western India.
The sense of security the victories brought to the island
attracted in increasing numbers wealthy communities
from the war-weary mainland. In the last quarter of
. the eighteenth century its fortificatiOilll were further
strengthened so that -to visitors coming to Bombay in

68
 MODERN BOMBAY

1775 the island appears capable of bidding defiance to

any force which may be brought against it. Bombay
harbour played a great part in the movement of ships in
the war with the French, with Hyder Ali and naturally
construction of ships and the repair of the fleet were
actively prosecuted. A new dock was built at Mazagaon
for the use of ships not exceeding 300 tons. A regular
ferry boat between Bombay and Thana was established
in 1776; markets were built; the problem of town-drainage
came in for serious consideration; the police force was
organized and in 1772 an accurate survey of the whole
island was begun. The spirit of progress was manifested
also in other directions. English ships from 1773 began
to visit Suez direct from Bombay, while three years later
Bombay began to trade in cotton with China.
The aspect of the town was Undergoing a gradual
alteration in the meanwhile. In 1770 Koli houses on
Dongri hill were removed; the dwellings of hamals and
poor people between Church Gate and Bazaar Gate were
demolished; and in 1772 an order was issued reserving
the area south of the Church Street for Europeans which
obliged the native population to take quarters north of
the Bazaar Street outside the town wall The Esplanade
was considerably extended, again at the cost of native
dwellings, in 1779. Barracks and Officers' quarters and
a correction house were erected on Old Woman's island
(the area now known as Colaba). New houses were ris-
ing in Byculla and Mazagon. Houses of entertainment
began to be established. The Hornby Vellard (from
Portuguese Vallado a fence) .or dam was constructed
between 1771 and 1784 which made available for culti-

69
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

vation and settlement the marshy plain between Cum-

balla Hill and Parel and Mahim. The population of the
island had been computed at this time to be in the neigh-
bourhood of a hundred thousand.
To secure the commerce of the island measures were
taken to suppress piracy on the west coast. About this
time the Kathiawad States came under British protection
(1807). They were asked to cease harbouring pirates,
and co-operate with the British authorities in suppressing
them. Treaties to the same effect were concluded in
1812 with Kolhapur and Sawantwadi. The ports of Mal-
wan and Vengurla from which pirate vessels used to sally
forth, were taken over by the British Government and
armed vessels found therein dismantled. The final blow
to piracy was given in 1819, when a British force under
Colonel Stanhope escaladed Dwarka and made an end
of the Kathiawad rovers.
The administrative machine had to be geared to
tackle with this expansion of Bombay's sphere of acti-
vities. The Directors issued instructions that the busi-
ness of the settlement be carried under four distinct
branches--The Board of Council, a Military Board, Board
of Revenue and a Board of Trade. In consequence new
departments of Government came into existence. The
Recorder's Court was founded in_ 1798 in supersession of
the old Mayor's Court and to it were also transferred
the sessions of Oyer and Terminer for the disposal of cri-
minal causes and Justices of Peace were appointed whose
main duties were to attend to the proper cleaning and
repairing and watching of the town, to raise money for
this purpose by assessment and to grant licenses for the

70
 MODERN BOMBAY

sale of spirituous liquors. Vaccination was introduced

in the island about this time which the Co's Medical offi-
-cer Mr. Keir made popular by his zealous exertions.
The town was growing and the authorities were hard
put to it, planning its development. The great fire of
1803 which destroyed practically a third part of the town
-simplified their problem to a great extent and stimulated
-development of the area north of the Townwall such as
Umarkhadi, Mandvi, Bhuleshwar etc. Many houses in
.the neighbourhood of the Castle were battered down and
the native population was hustled out. The Company
had acquired Salsette in 1774, and the island was now
connected with Bombay by a causeway at Sion com-
>pleted in 1803.
The nineteenth century witnessed a transformation
in the British economic system and Britain's oversea
commerce. England to the end of the 18th century had
traded with the east for its spices, its cotton fabrics, ivory
and precious stones. The Industrial Revolution at the
'beginning of the 19th century brought about a change in
the structure of British industry making Great Britain
the workshop of the world. The mills of Manchester
and Liverpool, the factories of Birmingham and Sheffield
·began to export manufactured wares of daily use to the
four corners of the world in ever increasing volume.
Bombay, which by the annexation of the Deccan had risen
in political importance, became the great entrepot where
British manufactures started pouring in year after year,
and from which Indian raw goods left in growing volume
for Great Britain. . The invention of the steam engine
and its application to locomotion by land and sea stimu-

71
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

lated the process by carrying these foreign manufactures

to the interior of the Indian continent. The G.I.P. Rail-
way projected in 1844, linked up Nagpore and Raichore
with Bombay by 1867 and 1871.. The B.B. & C.l. line
connected Bombay with Ahmedabad and Gujarat in 1864.
The Suez Canal was opened in 1869 and brought more
and more western goods to the Indian shore to be un-
loaded at Bombay. The Telegraph and Telephone and
the laying up of the cable between Bombay and Aden
slowly but inexorably drew Indian economy in the vortex.
of world economy and perfected the colonial system
against which Indian nationalists of later day were
to declaim. Whatever the disastrous effects of the process
on Indian economy, the volume of imports and exports
from Bombay rose to gigantic proportions. The pheno-
menal growth of commerce, development of the cotton
textile industry, railway workshops made Bombay the
richest city on the Indian continent and drew to it swarms
of people to make their fortunes or as in the case of
ruined artisans and peasants, to seek a living. From a
prosperous factory site Bombay became a great metro-
politan city and a beehive of industry.
The ·present city is the creation of the latter half of
the 19th century. It was during this period that changes
took place which have given the city its modern aspect.
The result of the influx of a large humanity in a small
island not very salubrious, created problems of municipal
administration which tried the capacity and resources of
the Government of the day. The trend of industry has
been to concentrate in the island on account of its port
and railway facilities and many of the problems still

72
 MODERN BOMBAY

await a satisfactory solution. The \nterest of the histo-

rian of Bombay during the period under review is there-·
fore centred in the various schemes of health, sanitation,
reclamation, water supply, public works, parks and
gardens.
Regulations for the civil administration of the town
began to be made from 1812, but mere regulations could
not solve the problems of housing and health of .the
millions crowding on the island. What was needed was
clear insight into the problems, imagination to project im-
provement schemes and the will and vigour to see them
carried into execution. Sir Bartle Frere, who became
Govemor of Bombay in 1860 took upon himself the task
of cleansing the Augean stables and in spite of much
opposition from the higher authorities succeeded consi-
derably in his self-imposed task. He carried out vast
schemes of drainage, reclamation, improvement of water-
supply and public works. The island's defences had been.
thrown forward by the erection of defence works on
Oyster Rock, the Middle Ground Shoal, and cross island,
and batteries at Malabar Point, Mahalakshmi and Colaba.
Now that the British Power had become supreme by sea
and land and the island defences had been reorganised
no reason remained for maintaining the old fort. It had..
become a useless encumbrance and its demolition had
been mooted in 1841. Frere boldly ordered its demoli-
tion in 1862, the material being used to fill up the ditch
round the town wall. New broad roads and buildings
were laid on the space thus cleared up. The foreshore
from the Fort to Sewri on the east and from Apollo
Bunder round Colaba and Back Bay on the west was

73
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

filthy and hideous. All round the island was one foul
cesspool, sewers discharging on the sand. By expending
sixty lakhs of rupees the foreshore of the island was
pushed forward, dock facilities were improved and hand·
some works were executed on either side of Apollo
Bunder extending over a distance of five miles. Water
had been brought to the city from the Vehar lake; as
that proved insufficient, new schemes for providing water
from Tulsi and Pawai, and later in 1885 ·from the Tansa,
were undertaken.
Stately buildings and architectural adornments of
the city were likewise projected on a lavish scale. The
services of famous architects from England were obtained
to frame these elaborately and work was started while
Frere yet remained Governor. By 1875 had risen the
colossus of the Government Secretariat, the High Court,
the University Library, Convocation Hall, the Telegraph
Office, the Post Office all done on a grand scale. Other
buildings in similar style were built in other parts of the
city, the Elphinstone College, the Elphinstone · High
School, the Victoria Museum, the School of Art, the
Gokuldas Hospital, the Sailor's Home and several others.
The spirit was infectious; private enterprise vied with
. Government in making the city clean, healthy, beautiful.
Premchand Roychand gave four lakhs of rupees for the
University Library building and a tower to be named
after his mother Rajabai; the Jamsetji Jijibhoy School
of Art came into existence; by the liberality of Sir
Cowasji Jehangir forty drinking fountains were erected
in various quarters of the city; the Parsis gave liberally
towards opening of hospitals, schools, infirmaries; sub-

74
 MODERN BOMBAY

:scriptions were likewise offered for the Victoria and

Albert Museum. The Town Hall had bee,n erected in
:the early thirties; The site in its front-the Bombay
Green-was purchased by the Municipality which had
=me into existence in 1865 and sold in lots to English
mercantile firms who gradually transferred the dusty
open space into an imposing example of street architec-
ture. ·
The security of the island and its growing prosperity
drew to it people of various communities from the neigh-
bouring provinces. Bhandaries, Thakurs had settled in
the early Hindu period; Pathare Prabhus, Palshikar
Brahmins came with Raja Bimba in the early 13th cen-
tury. Muhammedan rule in the two centuries following
left the Konkan Musalman as its legacy. The Portuguese
.authority in the island ended witli its transfer to the
British 1661, but a large number of Indian Christians,
many of them converts of the original inhabitants, re-
mained. The British connection brought in the BritiSh
element. With the British came the Parsis from Surat,
the Gujarati Banias to be followed later in 1760, by the
Kapol Banias from Gogha and Surat. The great famine
of 1803 brought many fugitives from Gujarat-Jains,
Khojas, Memons and Bohras. About the time also came
.the Bhatias from Kathiawad and Cutch. The Bene Israel
<!ommunity had come a little earlier. The Deccan Brah-
min appeared in consequence of British relations with
the Peshwa and the number increased subsequent to the
<lverthrow of the Peshwa's Government and pacification
<>f the Deccan.
The trade boom of 1860 attracted to the city another

75
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

wave of immigrants. The growing mill industry called

for labour and this was supplied by the Deccan peasant
and artisan. In the last fifty years Bombay is attracting
people from yet distant provinces like Madras, the United
Provinces, the Punjab, N.W.F.P. Baluchistan. Commerce
and business have drawn to the city people from China,
Japan, Indonesia, Italy and France and perhaps every
nationality in Asia and Europe. ·
The 19th century witnessed the birth of a new spirit
in this heterogeneous mass of humanity. A sense of
corporate life began to grow as a result of education, of
the growth of Indian journalism and the political awak-
ening in the country. Education in Bombay owes its
beginning to Mountstuart Elphinstone. Under his inspir-
ed leadership the first schools began to function in the
early twenties. The Elphinstone Institute was founded
in 1827. A net work of schools soon spread over the pro-
vince. In 1844 was started the Grant Medical College,
the year of the Indian Rising, 1857, is famous in the his-
tory of Bombay as the year of the foundation of the
University. Education has proved a great solvent in
breaking barriers of prejudice, superstition and bringing
the different communities together. These have come
together to work out their common problems and to solve
their common difficulties. The varied contacts of the
Bombay citizen develop in him a wide outlook on matters
social, political and religious and that is the chief reason
why Bombay is always in the· vanguard of progress. ·
The twentieth century inspite of the initial se~back
on account of violent plague epidemics and riots, did not
stop the progress of the city. The number of textile-mills

76
 MODERN BOMBAY

multiplied and to it was later added the light engineering

industry, the chemical industry and the cinema industry.
1n world war I and II through Bombay poured military
supplies and men who rolled back the tide of German
invasion in the Middle East. The city benefited immense-
ly by these war activities.
This bastion of the British empire has now become a
city of free India. Its security uptil now was the secu-
rity imposed by the foreign conqueror. Its preservation
now depends on the good sense of its citizens, on their
readiness to dwell together in unity and the willingness
of its wealthy community to render justice to the millions
of peasants and artisans whose labours and toils have
gone. to build up Bombay's prosperity.

77
 VI

RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY

ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF BOMBAY

The Anthropological Society of Bombay was founded

on ·7th April, 1886, by the late Mr. Edward Tyrrell Leith;
K.C.I., LL.M., The Society was established for tha
purpose of promoting anthropological research in India
by investigating and recording facts relating to the
physical, intellectual and moral development of man,
more.especially of the various races inhabiting India.
Papers of anthropological interest are read at meet-
ings h~ld periodically, and discussions held thereon. The
SocietY. publishes a journal containing papers read at
meetmg~ or contributed by anthropologists.
The Council of the Society is anxious to widen the
scope of the Society's activities by instituting anthropolo-
gical researches with the aid of scholars.
The Society is managed by a Council of ten mem-
bers. Sir Rustam Masani is the present President and
Mr. R. K. Prabhu, the Hon Secretary. ·

BHARATIYA VIDYA BHAVAN

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan was founded on 7th Nov-

ember, 1938, for the systematic study and propagation
of Indian culture. It conducts the following institutions:
(1) The Mungalal Goenka Samshodhan Man-

78
 RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY

dir (Post-graduate and Research Institute). The

post-graduate department provides facilities for
study and research for the M.A. & Ph.D. degrees of the
Bombay University in Sanskrit, Ardhamagadhi, Compa-
rative Philology and Gujarati. Scholarships are award-
ed to deserving students. Research work is mainly con-
fined to the field of lp.dology. The results of the re-
searches of the members of the Bhavan, the staff and
students as well as scholars co-operating with it are given
below: 'Histories:' (a) 'The Bharatiya Itihasa Sa-
miti's History and Culture of the Indian
People (in ten volumes) Vol. I, The Vedic Age,
is under print; Vols. II-IV-'The Age of
Imperial Unity', 'The Classical Age' and 'The Age of
Imperial Kanauj' are being edited and the Medieval and
Modern Periods comprising Vols. V-X are under pre-
paration. GeneTal EditOT. Dr. R. C. Majumdar. Con-
tTibutoTs: Fifty-two scholars from all over India. (b)
'The Glory that was GuTjara desha' (History of
Greater Gujarat)-Vol. !.-'The Pre-historic
West Coast' and Vol. III-'The Imperial
Gurjaras"-are published. The remammg four
volumes are under preparation. GeneTal EditOT: Shri K.
M. Munshi. BhaTatiya Vidya Series & Singhi Jain
Series-Original works and critical editions of rare and
important texts, treatises and translations on indological
subjects. Thirty-two volumes have been published.
Forty-two are under print. General EditOT: Acharya
Jinavijayaji Muni. BhaTatiya Vidya, a monthly iii.dologi-
cal research periodical.
(2) The Munshi Saraswati Mandir (Insti-

79
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

-tute of Culture)-Hon. Head: Smt. Lilavati Munshi-The

following departments and activities are conducted under
it:-
( a) The Babu Bahadur Singhji Singhi Indological
Library and allied collections-have a total of about
18,000 volumes. This includes many rare and valuable
volumes on Indian Archaeology, Art, and History. It
has also got a substantial collection of ancient manus-
cripts on paper and palm leaf, some of which belong to
the 11th century A.D. A few of these have been criti-
cally edited and published by the Bhavan. Work on
others is proceeding. Some of the manuscripts are also
notable for their fine calligraphy and the masterpieces
of illusrtations which accompany the text. There is also
a modest collection of bronzes, coins and paintings as well
.as copperplate grants etc. of historical importance.
(b) The Indian Culture Essay Competition: Medals
worth Rs. 1,000 are offered every year for the best essays
received on any aspect of Indian Culture.
(c) Extention Lectures are held every Saturday
evening when subjects of scholarly study are dealt with
for the benefit of the general public.
(d) The Bharatiya Sangita Shikshapith (College of
music) affiliated to the Bhatkhande University, Luck-
·now, conducts regular courses of teaching in vocal and
instrumental music for the B. Music diploma.
Principal: C. D. Nagarkar.
(3) THE MUMBADEVI SAJ.~SKRIT MAHA-
VIDYALAYA gives instruction on indigenous lines. The
Shastras taught include Vedas, Vedanta, Mimansa,
Vyakarana, Nyaya, Jyotisha and Sahitya. The students

80
 RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY

are given in addition to free tuition, free boarding, lodg-

ing, dress and books or cash scholarships. It aiso conducts
its own examinations-Shastri, Acharya and Vachaspati
in the Shastras. The diplomas of this Vidyalaya are
recognised by the Government of Bombay and other
educational institutions. The extra-curricular activities
include debates and poesy competitions in Sanskrit open
to students from other institutions also, for which prizes
are awarded. Acharya: Panditaraj T. A. V. Dikshitar.
The allied Gita Vidyalaya gives instruction on Hindu
Religion in general and the Bhagavat Gita in particular
at the Bhavan as well as through a number of centres
in different parts of the Province of Bombay and outside.
It also conducts examinations for the Vidyalaya's Gita
Vid and Gita Visharad diplomas and awards medals,
scholarships and prizes to successful candidates.
(4) MEGJI MATHRADAS ARTS COLLEGE &
NARRONDASS MANORDASS INSTITUTE OF
SCIENCE at Andheri is affiliated to the Uni-
versity of Bombay for courses of study in
Arts and Science leading to the B.A., B.Sc., M.A.,
M.Sc., & Ph.D. degrees. It is situated in ideal surround-
ings in a campus of 110 acres, between a stretch of hills
on one side and the sea on the other, away from the
hub of the city, yet sufficiently near to share in its bene-
fits. Hostel accommodation is provided for 250 students.
There is a separate hostel to accommodate 40 lady stu-
dents. Principal: V. N. Bhusan.
(5) THE PRAKASHAN MANDffi publishes, apart
from the research volumes mentioned above, the Bhara-
tiya Vidya Studies in which scholarly subjects are

81
6
 THE STORY m• THE ISLAND CITY

written in popular style for the benefit of the general

public, the works of Mr. & Mrs. Munshi in Gujarati,
Hindi and English, the copyright of all of which have
been gifted to the Bhavan, and the publications of the
Gujarati Sahitya Parishad.
The Gujarati Sahitya Parishad, the Sahitya Sansad,
the Bombay Astrological Society and the Bharatiya Stri
Seva Sangh are affiliated to and conduct their activities
in the Bhavan.
The recurring annual expenditure of the Bhavan
comes to about Rs. five lakhs.
Further developments of the various departments
as well as addition of new institutions is now possible
as the Bhavan has moved into its new spacious buildings
on Chaupatty Road constructed at a cost of about rupees
twenty lakhs.
1: President: Shri K. M. Munshi
2. Vice-Presidents: Sir H. V. Divatia,
Smt. Lilavati Munshi
3. Director: Acharya Jinavijayaji Muni
4. Asst. Directors: Dr. A. D. Pilsalker,
Prof. J. H." Dave
5. Hon. Registrar: Prof. J. H. Dave
6. Deputy Registrar: Dr. D. D. Mehta.
Address: Chaupatty Road, Bombay 7.

THE BOMBAY BRANCH OF THE ROYAL ASIATIC

SOCIETY, TOWN HALL, BOMBAY

The Society was· founded in the· year 1804. Sir

James Mackintosh, a distinguiShed alumnus of Aberdeen,

82
 RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY

was the Recorder of Bombay, that is to say, the chief

judicial officer under the East India Company. He was
a man of distinguished literary tastes and scholarly inte-
rests. On the 26th of November 1804 he called a meet-
ing at Government House of seventeen persons including
.the Hon'ble Jonathan Duncan, Governor of Bombay, to
form the Literary Society of Bombay. The Society met
on the last Monday of each month; it had two distinct
sides, social and literary. Mackintosh was elected Presi-
dent, Charles Forbes, Treasurer and William Erskine,
Hon. Secretary. Erskine was a distinguished scholar
and translated the Memoirs of Babur.
In 1825, that is 21 years after the formation of the
Society, there was founded the Royal Asiatic Society of
London. It acknowledged the Bombay Society as one
of its parents. In 1829 arrangements for amalgamation
were completed and the powerful child made one of its
parents a branch Society, and instead of the Literary
Society of Bombay it became the Bombay Branch of the
Royal Asiatic Society.
How great the influence of the Society has been on
the cultural life of Bombay, apart from research in ori-
ental subjects, can be seen from the facts that the present
Museum, the Natural History Society, the Anthropologi-
cal Society and even the Bombay Observatory may all
be said in one way or another to have been the results
of thP original impetus given by the intellPctuals who_-
formed the Society. The Geographical Society of Bombay,
established in 1831, was amalgamated with the Society
in· 1873.. Unfortunately geographical science; seelllS no
longer. to attract modern. scholars and the ~~nly evidence

83
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

Sir George Grierson, Sir Jadunath Sarkar, Sir John

Marshall, Ga11ganath Jha, P. V. Kane and Prof. Thomas.
The Society's Silver Medal is awarded every three years
to a member for distinguished publications advancing
the knowledge of Oriental subjects. The P. V. Kane
Gold Medal, founded in 1947, will be awarded periodi-
cally for research in Vedic and Classical Sanskrit.
In the last two decades the most distinguished contri-
butors to the Journal were D. R. Bhandarkar who wrote
on Epigraphy; P. V. Kane, on Hindu Law; H. G. Rawlin-
son, on Indian History; J. A. Saldanha, on Bombay and
Western India; A. X. Soares, on the influence of Portu-
guese; W. Ivanow, on Ismails; and V. S. Sukthankar,
Editor of the Journal from 1925 till his death in 1943,
and now world-famous as the gifted editor of the Malla-
bharata.
In 1947 the Society entered upon a new and broader
phase of activity when, in· accordance with the scheme
of the Library Development Committee, it opened its un-
rivalled collection to the public and became the founda-
tion and reservoir of the Central Library for the Province
of Bombay. The main room of the Town Hall has now
become a public reading room, where accredited readers
may consult and study any of the ~ociety's books which
are not in use by its members. For the efficient con-
duct of this Library a classified card-index is in prepa-
ration. The Society has also undertaken the storage and
classification of the Bombay Government's large collec-
tion of copyright books in English and Sanskrit, the
Marathl, Gujarati and Kannada copyright books having
been sent to the Regional Libraries at Poona, Ahmedabad
 RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY

and Dharwar.

BOMBAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The Bombay Historical Society was establish in 1925

to stimulate research in Indian History, Epigraphy,
Archaeology, Numismatics, and allied subjects, more
particularly of Bombay and Western India.
It publishes a Journal twice a year, in March and
September. It presents authoritative articles, critical re-
views of important works on Indian History and allied
subjects, groups of unedited documents, and news of
many and varied activities in the field of research. The
most important publication of the Society is . the
Annual Bibliography of Indian History and Indology, It
contains full description of books and articles published
in India and abroad, in all languages, on Indian History
in particular and Indology in general, with critical notes.
The Society's Bibliography is the only publication of its
kind,-an ambitious work in view of its encyclopaedic
scope.
The Society undertakes educational excursions in fair
seasons under expert guidance. The object of these ex-
~ursions is to study the remains of the past, and render
an orderly account of them to the scientific world. Spe-
dal monographs are published as the results of research
appear to justify.
The Society is celebrating its silver jubilee in 1950.
President:H. E. Mr. Mangaldas Pakvasa, Governor of
the Central Provinces and Berar.

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 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

Vice-President:-Mr. Braz A. Fernandes.

Address:-Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay.

GUJARAT RESEARCH SOCIETY

The Gujarat Research Society was founded in 1936

with a view to promote and co-ordinate research in all
branches of knowledge with reference to Gujarat, Cutch
and Kathiawar. During thirteen years of its existence
it has organised research on various branches including
the Linguistic Survey of the Borderlands of Gujarat,
Archaelogical research, Mental Intelligence Test and
Bird Survey in the area. The Anthropological, Serologi-
cal and Health Survey of Gujarat, Kathiawar and Cutch
was undertaken by this Society with the help of Dr. D.
N. Majumdar of the Lucknow University. A report of
this Survey will be published soon. The society's report
on 'Economic and Nutrition Survey of the Middle Class
Families in the City of Bombay' based on the investiga-
tion of 1000 families has won wide repute. With a view
to obtain the idea of the normal health of people the
Society is also running a Health Centre at Khar, a suburb
in Bombay, where a clinical and blood examination of
Gujarati families is undertaken free of charge. Further,
the Society also undertook an inquiry on "Incidence of
Aanemia among Gujarati Women", the results of which
have created much interest on the subject.
For the spread of scientific knowledge in Gujarat, a
comprehensive Dictionary of Scientific terms is being
prepared by Mr. P. G. Shah for the Society. The script
adopted is Devnagari but all scientific terms current in

88
 RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY

the regional language have been retained, so also all

English scientific terms already accepted in International
Communications. Further coining of new words on the
basis of Sanskrit roots has been fully resorted to. It-
is at present in press and the Society hopes to pub-
lish it very soon.
The Society is conducting since 1939 a Journal in-
which the results of its research as well as research
articles of other Gujarat scholars are published. The·
Society has. also published a Statistical Abstract of Maha
Gujarat containing all available statistics for Maha Guja--
rat. Six other monographs on the same lines have been
published.
Office BeareTs:
Ron. Justice Sir H. V. Divatia is the President of the-
Society and Dr. M. B. Desai, its Secretary.

INDIAN IDSTORICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE

St. Xavier's College, Bombay.

The St. Xavier's College Indian Historical Research.

Institute is now in the 24th year of its existence. Its aim
has been to foster Indian historical research and in parti--
cular to train students in scientific method of historical
research. During this period of 24 years, over seventy
students have submitted original theses either for the
M.A. or Ph.D. degree of the Bombay University. All of
them have been accepted.
The Library of the Institute contains over twenty
thousand volumes. The Institute also receives, eithel"
through subscription, membership or gratis, about 4~

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 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

lndian journals of historical interest and about 25 Ameri-

-can, British or other foreign journals.
Besides the Library, the Institute maintains a histori-
cal and archaeological museum, a collection of MSS and
a coin cabinet etc., purely of Indian interest. One of the
possessions of the Institute is the earliest llook known to
be printed in Bombay, titled "Remarks and occurrences
of Mr. Henry Becher, during his imprisonment of two
years and half in the Dominions of Tipoo Sultan, from
whence he made his escape. Printed in Bombay, 1793."
It is the only copy known in India.
In ·addition to several articles which the members of
·the staff contribute to various journals, the Institute also
publishes historical works of merit now and then. ·
The Institute was founded by Rev. Fr. H. Heras,
.S.J., and continues to work under his Directorship.

ISLAMIC RESEARCH ASSOCIATION, BOMBAY

1. The Association was founded on the 1st February

1933. Its object is the promotion of Islamic Research
in the languages, literatures, philology, history, bio-
graphy, philosophy, theology, science, art, etc. of
Islamic nations and peoples.
The Association has so far published ten volumes
on Islamic religion and history giving Persian and
Arabic texts with translations.
:2. Future programme: (i) Nuh Sipihr orAmir Khusraw
edited by Dr. Wahid Mirza (Lucknow) is almost
ready and will be published shortly. This is a valu-
able Persian poetical text.

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 RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY

(ii) I.R.A. Miscellany, Vol. I. The book has

been printed and will shortly be bound and publish-
ed.
(iii) Kitab al-Kashf of Jafar b. Mansur' 1-
Yaman, Arabic Text, edited by R. Strothmann
(Hamburg).
(iv) Da ii imu l-Isliim of Cadi Nu miin, edited
by Mr. A.A.A. Fyzee. This is an authoritative com-
pendium of Fatimid Law written in Egypt 1100 years
ago.
:3. Mr. Ali Mahomed Mecklai is the President of the
Executive Committee and Mr. A. A. A. Fyzee, Hon.
Secretary.
4. Official Address: Town Hall, Bombay, 1 (India).

THE KAIVALYADHAM
Shreeman Madhav Yoga Mandir Samiti,
Lonavala.

It was in October, 1924 that Swami Kuvalayananda

founded the Kaivalyadham at Lonavala as a public
~haritable institution, for the propagation of Yoga in all
its aspects, physical, mental, and spiritual, by co-ordinat-
ing it with modern sciences and orienting it in such a
way as to make it useful in every day life. Later on,
the research side of the Kaivalyadham was separated
and organised as a well-constituted Samiti and was
registered under the Societies' Registration Act 21 of
1860. . The Samiti has been named after Swami Kuva-
layananda's Guru, Madhavadas Maharaj of Malsar.
Yogic Therapy has been developed and is being

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 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

practised at the Kaivalyadham institution on a large

scale and is bringing relief to many. Government of
Bombay realising the great utility of this system, has
given to the Bombay Kaivalyadham Ishwardas Chuni-
lal Yogic Health Centre a plot of land worth Rs. 300,000
for a nominal rent of Rs. 12 a year, and has been paying
an annual grant of Rs. 1200. The Yogic Health Centre
is being taken advantage daily by about 250 persons for
Yogic Health Culture, both curative and prophylactic.
On average about a thousand people undergo Yogic
exercises here every year.
Swami Kuvalayananda, Director of the Kaivalya-
dhama, who has made a scientific study of Yoga and
published for many years a journal on Yoga called the
Yoga-Mimansa has now undertaken several works. He
has prepared a critical edition of the Hathapradipika
with the commentary Jyotsna based on seven Mss and
four editions, a similar edition of the Brihad-Yogi-Yajna-
valkya Smriti, an ancient work on Yoga quoted profusely
by Dharmasastra writers and others from the 9th century_
An index of Yogic literature, printed and available in
Mss. prepared by the Swamiji is almost ready for the
press. He is also working on a concordance of the Yoga
on the lines of Vedic Index containing short and histori-
cal articles on technical words and important topics of
Yogasastra derived from the Upanisads, the Epics, the
Puranas, Y ogasutra and its commentaries and other
works on Yoga. It is proposed to study also the Budhis-
tic literature for a similar purpose. A critical edition of
Goraksha Shataka is being prepared and already some
twenty manuscripts collected from all over India have

92
 RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY

already been collated.

Grants given by the Governments of India and Bom-
bay have enabled the Samiti to start re-organizing its
scientific research. The plan is to conduct this research
both at Lonavala and in Bombay. Accordingly Yogic
research laboratories are fitted up at these two places.
The Kaivalyadham Samiti wants to found
.at Lonavala a college, teaching post-graduate diploma
course in Yoga. Some preparation for this college bas
already been made. The subjects for study will be:
Practical Yoga, scientific and philosophic theories of
Yoga, elements of general science, elementary anatomy
and physiology, general knowledge of Eastern and Wes-
tern Philosophy and important world religions. The
_course will last for two years. The college will start in
.July 1950.
The Samiti wishes and is trying to develop a philo-
sophy and a culture based on the co-ordination of Yogic
experiences and modern sciences that would lead to the
establishment of human brotherhood. If man is to be
happy he must be studied in his entirety. The Kaivalya-
&uun Samiti ultimately aims at studying the
whole man and thus be an humble agent in leading
humanity to happiness.

K. R. CAMA ORIENTAL INSTITUTE

The K. R. Cama Oriental Institute, which was in-

augurated on the 18th December 1916, was founded in
memocy of the late Mr. Khurshedji Rustamji Cama, the
pioneer of Avesta studies on western lines, who died on

93
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

the 20th August 1909. The object of the Institute is the-

encouragement of Oriental studies with special reference
to Avesta.
The Institute is maintaining a Library of oriental
literature specially dealing with Zoroastrian religion and
history and Avesta and Pahlavi languages. To the
Institute are affiliated the Mulla Firoze Library and
several other libraries.
The Institute has obtained from Government a grant
of Rs. 30,000 and has founded the Government Research,
Fellowship to carry on research in the field of oriental
literature. Distinguished scholars are invited to deliver
research lectures and an honorarium is given to them.
The use of the Dr. Sir Jivanji Modi Memorial Hall,
built to commemorate the services of the late Shams-
ul-Ulema Dr._ Sir Jivanji Jamshedji Modi is placed at the
disdisposal of the public for lectures, conferences, etc.
The Society's journal publishes papers of original
studies contributed by reputed scholars and savants.
The Institute invites annually competitive essays for-
the following prizes-The Sarosh K. R. Cama Prize, the
Bai Aimae K. R. Cama Prize, the Dr. Sir Jivanji Jam--
shedji Modi Prize, the Miss Serene M. Cursetji Prize,
the Bai Pouruchisti Rustamji Cama Prize and the T.R.N.
Cama Prize.
Under the auspices of the Institute a conference of
the representatives of different Parsi Associations inte-
rested in the spread of the knowledge of Zoroastrian
religion and literature has formulated a scheme for orga-
nization of Iranian Studies and Research.
The affairs of the Institute are managed by a board.

94
 RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY

of trustees. Sir Rustam Masani is the President of the

Governing body and Mr. Rustam J. J. Modi and Dr. J.
M. Unvala are Joint Secretaries.
KONKAN INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Founded in 1944 the aims of the Institute are:
(1) to foster and encourage the study of all aspects.
of the culture of the Konkan,
(2) to carry on research and to publish works on the
life and culture of the Konkan,
(3) to promote among the people of the Konkan a
consciousness of the cultural traditions of India,
(4) to interpret the contribution of India to civi-
lization, to the people of Konkan.
In pursuance of the above aims the following works
have been put through:
Published and issu.ed: Bibliography of lndological
Studies, 1942, by Prof. G. M. Moraes.
In Press: Bibliography of Indological Studies,
1943, and 1944 (2 volumes). Also ready for the press:
A Pre-Portuguese History of Goa by Prof. G. M. Moraes,.
and "An Indian Way of Life" and "Folksongs of the
Konkan."
Unpublished:-Some archaeological finds at Ambarnath.
-a paper.
Anthropological studies at Chaul-a paper.
The Institute co-operated in the organisation of the Grand
Goa Exhibition held at the Sir Cowasji Jehangir Hall,
Bombay. ·
Address:-Secretary, Konkan Institute of Arts & Sci-
ences, 9, New Marine Lines, Bombay 1.

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 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

NUMISMATIC SOCIETY OF INDIA

The Society was founded at Allahabad in 1910 with

1:he object of promoting the study of Indian Coins and
Medals by reading and publication of papers incorpo~
rating Numismatic research by scholars and popularise
-collection and study of monetary issues of the ancient,
mediaeval and modern times and thus help the study
-.of Indian history with special reference to its currency.
The Society is intended to be the co-ordinating body to
promote the lmowledge and regulate the study of Indian
<COins.
The Society publishes a journal of its own which is
issued twice a year. In the earlier stages research
..articles of the members of the Society were published as
Numismatic Supplements to the Asiatic Society of Bengal
·of whieh about 47 numbers were issued. till the celebra-
tion of its Silver Jubilee in 1936. With the celebration
-of the Silver Jubilee the Society has been issuing its
journal independently which is edited by Dr. A. S. Alte-
kar of Benares. Ten volumes of this
journal are already issued. The journal is of a hi!lh
standard and is subscribed to by contributors throughout
·the world. Besides the journal, the Society has publish-
-ed the following occasional memoirs-
(!) The Coins of Tipu Sultan, by Dr. Taylor.
(2) Historical Studies in Mughal Numismatics, by
S. H. Hodiwala.
(3) The Technique of Casting coins in Ancient India,
by Birbal Sahani.

96
 RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY

The Society proposes to bring out a comprehensive

:standard history of the coinage of India in six volwnes
to be written by various Numismatists specialising in
·the coins of different periods.
Office bearers of the S_ociety for the year 1949 are:-
PRESIDENT: Dr. J. N. Banerji, M.A., Ph.D., Calcutta
University, Calcutta.
CHAIRMAN: Dr. A. S. Altekar, M.A., D.Litt., Head of
the Department of Ancient Indian History & Cul-
ture, Banares Hindu University, Benares.
SECRETARY: Mr. R. G. Gyani, M.A., Curator, Archaeo-
logical Section, Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay.

PRINCE OF WALES MUSEUM OF WESTERN INDIA

Though the question of providing Bombay with a

Museum had been discussed in earlier years, the history
of the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, may
be said to begin with the appointment by Government
in 1904 of a Committee to investigate the subject. In
1905, at a public meeting held in connection with the
visit in that year of His Royal Highness the Prince of
Wales (the late King George V), it was decided that a
permanent memorial of the visit should take the form of
a public museum.
When the museum was projected Government gave
the present site free of charge, and the funds available
for the Museum were the Royal Visit (1905) Memorial
Funds, the Government grant of 3 lakhs and the Munici-
pal grant of 2! lakhs. Sir Currimbhoy Ibrahim (first

97
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

Baronet) donated 3lakhs and the late Sir Cowasji Jehan-

gir, Bart. gave half-a-lakh. The Museum was established
under Bombay Act No. III of 1909. It is maintained from
annual grants made by Government and the Bombay
Municipality and from interest accruing on the funds at
the disposal of the Board of Trustees of the Museum.
The building on completion in 1914 was
allowed to be used as a war hospital during the First
World War. After the war, and after much lengthy pre-
parations the Museum comprising three main sections-
Art, Archaeology and Natural History-was opened to
the public in 1922. The chief object of the Museum is
educational and spread of knowledge through proper
classification and display of its exhibits with suitable
labels and publications and by other means.
The Art Section contains valuable collections of
Indian and European pictures, Chinese porcelain and
jades, Japanese lacquer, Indian and Asiatic metal ware,
ivories, printed calicos, embroideries, shawls, arms IUld
armour, and other European and Indian antiquities. The
Section owes its existence to the munificent gifts of the
late Sir Ratan Tata and the late Sir Dorab Tata, which
have been augmented by purchases and gifts from time
to time, including the gift of a fine collection of Indian
paintings and manuscripts of the late Sir Akbar Hydari
(the first Knight) and the School of Art collection trans-
ferred to the Museum by Government.
The Archaeological Section comprises sculptures,
stone and copper plate inscriptions, prehistoric antiquities
including those from Mohenjodaro and Harappa, a large
and varied collection of ancient Indian coins and some

98
 RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY

foreign antiquities of much interest from Persia, Arabia,

Assyrian, Egypt, etc. The exhibits include the loan col-
lection of the Bombay Branch Royal Asiatic Society,
specimens lent by the Director General of Archaeology in
India, the Bombay Natural History Society and the
K. R. Cama Oriental Institute, and a collection of pre-
historic finds presented by Dr. G. S. Ghurye.
The Natural History Section was established as a
result of an agreement between the Board of Trusteees
of the Museum and the Bombay Natural History Society,
whereby the collections of the Society were made avail-
able for exhibition to the public for the first time. The
exhi)>its displayed in this Section on modern and most
attractive lines illustrate mammals, birds, reptiles, am-
phibians, fish and invertebrates.
For the convenience of visitors guide books
have been published, and a catalogue of the coins of the
Sultans of Gujarat has also been compiled.
The Museum as an educational institution has func-
tioned efficiently for more than a quarter of a century,
playing its part in the educational and civic life of the city
and offering facilities to research scholars. It is visited by
many learned and distinguished persons, by students and
others, to whom it furnishes a wide field of instruction
and interest. In the Natural .History Section a Nature
Education Officer has been appointed who gives lectures
to school teachers on a systematic basis and guides visi-
tors to the Section.
A scheme has been formulated for the reorganisa•
tion of the Art and Archaeological Sections, the execution
()f which depends on the requisite funds forthccnirlrig

99
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

from Government or some other source. Funds are also

needed for the extension of the Natural History Section
for which plans have been prepared.
The Museum is maintained and managed by a Board
of Trustees of which Dewan · Bahadur K. M. Jhaveri
is Chairman. The Heads of Departments of the
Museum are: Dr. Moti Chandra, Curator of the Art Sec-
tion; Mr. R. G. Gyani, Curator of the Archaeological
Section; Mr. N. G. Pillai, Curator of the Natural History
Section; & Mr. J. Jacobs, Secretary to the Board.

SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND SOCIOLOGY,

UNIVERSITY OF BOMBAY

Founded in 1919 the object of the School is to pro-

mote the study of Indian social and economic conditions
and institutions with reference to their effects on the
social and economic life of the people by conducting re-
search in Economics lald Sociology. During the last
thirty years the School has trained a number of students
in scientific methods and conducted research on various
economic and· sociological problems of the day.
The Department of Economics is at present engaged
in a study of Economic Aspects of the Refugee Problem.
The Agricultural Section of the same Department is
conducting an enquiry into the working of Agrarian
Legislation and Reform in Bombay Province.
The Department of Sociology started last year an
enquiry into the problem of "Career-Attitude of
Students". The enquiry is still in progress. · The object
of this enquiry is to study the habits and ideas of Univer-

100
 RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY

sity students (especially above the third year college

level) with particular reference to their aptitudes towards
study, educational attainments, the future course of their
lives, etc.
Prof. C. N. Vakil is the Director of the School and
Professor of Economics and Head of the Department of
Economics.
Prof. G. S. Ghurye is Head of the Department of
Sociology and Professor of Sociology.
Recently the Department of Politics has been added
to the School and placed under Prof. Venkat Rangayya.

SECRETARIAT RECORD OFFICE, BOMBAY

The Secretariat Record Office was established in
1821. After several peregrinations it came to be housed
in the Elphinstone College building in 1888 where it re-
mains at present.
The Office has in its custody over 98,000 volumes and
250,000 files of records. They were created in the course
of the East India Company's administration of the Bom-
bay Presidency since its establishment to the present
day. The Western Presidency had its head quarters first
at Surat which in 1687 were shifted to Bombay. From a
small trading factory it has developed into the govern-
ing authority of a major province ;ptd had a varied career.
All its activities in Commerce, Politics, War and Adminis-
tration over three hundred years are reflected in its re-
cords.
The Bombay Records start in a general way from
1720, though there are quite a few volumes of the Surat
Factory of the earlier period. They consist mainly of

101
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

the proceedings of the governing body of the Weestern

Presidency, originally the President in Council at Surat
and then the Governor in Council of Bombay and of the
correspondence, documents and books received by that
body. Besides the main records there are subsidiary
records in the office. They are (a) Records of the Facto-
ries and Residencies of the East India Company in the
present Bombay Province and in places outside India
subordinate to the Presidency, (b) Records of Subordi-
nate offices located at Bombay, (c) Miscellaneous records
consisting principally of the proceedings of numerous
political missions and committees appointed for adminis-
trative purposes.
The work of an organised Record Office falls into
three main categories: (1) Administration, (2) Mainten-
ance, (3) Research and Publication.
As the Record Office is keeping the records of the
Secretariat Departments, its primary function is to attend
to requisitions from the departments for old records,
watch their movements and keep them back after receipt.
This function it is attending to since its inception.
The utility of records as source material for history
was recognised in the last century. Record offices are ex-
pected to help scholars by issue of selections and calen-
dars and by preparing ,.aids in the form of lists, indexes
etc. to facilitate search in the records. Prof. Forrest, who
later became Keeper of Records to the Government of
India, did much valuable work in the last eighties and
brought out-
(1) Selections from State Papers, Bombay Maratha
Series, Volume I, Part I, 1885.

102
 RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY

{2) Selections from State Papers, Bombay, Maratha

Series, Volume I, Part II, 1885.
(3) Selections from State Papers, Bombay, Maratha
Series, Volume I, Part III, 1885.
(4) Selections from State Papers, Bombay, Home
Series, Volume I, 1887.
(5) Selections from State Papers, Bombay, Home
Series, Volume II, 1887.
(6) Selections from the Travels and Journals pre-
served in the Bombay Secretariat (1906).
After Forrest an attempt was made to press-list the
old records; it was abandoned after a while. In 1921, a
hand-book for the records was prepared by Mr. Kinders-
ley.
A descriptive catalogue of the records upto 1820 is
now in preparation. The result of intensive study
of over 4000 volumes will be issued in about
two or three volumes each of 500 pages. This will be
followed by issue of calendars from Secret and Political
Department Series, Factory Records and other series
under the general editoship of the Director of Archives,
Government of Bombay.
For proper preservation of the old documents Gov-
ernment is building up a small preservation branch. In
this branch old fragile papers will be repaired and l'e-
conditioned in a scientific way. Books attacked by
vermin will be treated with insecticides.
This province has played a prominent part in the
history of India of a recent date. Only about a century
and a quarter ago it formed territory of the Maratha
State. Naturally it is rich in archival materials. Gov-

103
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

ernment has now accepted as its responsibility the salvag-

ing of this material whenever possible, and active efforts
are being made to rescue important collections in private
custody. It is also proposed to acquire records from
England and other foreign countries to fill up gaps in
the Bombay Records.
The Records of States that have integrated with the
province have been placed under control of the Bombay
Record Office and a comprehensive guide is l.mder pre-
paration.
Dr. P. M. Joshi, the Director of Archives, is in
charge of the Office and guides its activities.
The Records are open to students of history and re-
search scholars.

UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, BOMBAY

The beginnings of the University Library go back to

1864 when in August that year Premchand Roychand
(the gentleman in whose name the famous Premchand
Roychand Scholarships at the Calcutta University are
founded) a merchant prince of Bombay wrote to the
Government of Bombay as follows:-
"! have the honour to request that Government will
have the goodness to communicate to the University of
Bombay my desire to offer most respectfully to that
learned body the sum of Rs. 2,00,000 (Two Lacs) towards
the erection of a University Library, which may be an
ornament to the City, and by becoming a storehouse of
the learned works, not only of the past but of many
generations to come, may be the means of promoting the

104
 RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY

high ends of the University."

The Senate cordially accepted Mr. Premchand Roy-
chand's noble gift.
Two months after his first letter Premchand Roy-
chand made another gift of Rs. 2,00,000 for a tower in
connection with the Library to perpetuate the memory of
his mother Rajabai. The foundation stone of the Library
& Rajabai Clock Tower was laid on 1st March, 186~
and the work was completed in November 1878. The
Tower is the tallest building in Bombay being 280 feet-
high frqm the ground to the top of the metal finial.
In 1879 the Library consisted mainly of-
(1) a number of miscellaneous books (mostly histo-
rical and biographical) presented by the Govern--
ment in 1864, when the old Library of the East
India Company was removed to the India Officer
some of the books being divided among the
Indian Universities.
(2) Dr. John Wilson's Collection. This was pur--
chased in 1876 by the University from the heirs
of Dr. Wilson (after whom the Wilson College is
named), and consisted mainly of Orientalia, and
books on travel and theology.
(3) books presented to the University.
In the early years the Library had an annual allow-
ance of Rs. 400 for books, but this was later on disconti-
nued so that about 1900 we find that "the only additions
now made to the Library, are the Official publications
sent in by the Local Government and the Government
of India, and some school and college books are present-
ed by publishers." The Library had at this time 4,504

105
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

books and 214 manuscripts. A catalogue of these was

prepared and published in 1901.
Sometime after an annual grant was made to the
Library for the purchase of books but its amount was
not fixed and it varied according to circumstances. In
1930 the Library got a non-recurring grant of Rs. 50,000
from Government to strengthen the Library for post-
graduate work. In July 1932 the Library book grant
was Rs. 8,500; it was increased to Rs. 18,500 the next year
and to Rs. 20,000 in 1934. The grant for books and
periodicals was Rs. 27,000 a year. in 1939. The present
grant for books and periodicals is Rs. 35,000 and the
stock of books is about 90,000. About 400 periodicals are
received at the Library.
The Library does not go in for technical or law books
and only general books on science are purchased. As
there is a special library for economics and sociology and
technology, the University Library purchases only books
of general interest in these subjects.
The Library has mutual loan arrangements with the
library of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic
Society, the J. N. Petit Institute and it can also draw
upon the resources of various other libraries all over the
country and the college libraries in the City itself.
The Library has exceptionally strong and up-to-date
sections in mathematics, education and library economy.
It possesses a complete set of Hansard and sets of im-
portant journals devoted to Orientalia and sets of the
various Oriental series.
The Library possesses today more than 500 manus-
<eripts in Arabic, Persian and Urdu and about 5,000 in

106
 RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY

Sanskrit. The Arabic, Persian and Urdu collection is

divided into three sections. The first two consisting of
243 manuscripts have already been catalogued by Khan
Bahadur Shaikh Abdul Kadir Surfraz and published
under the title "A Descriptive Catalogue of the Arabic,
Persian and Urdu Manuscripts in the Library of the
University of Bombay."
The third section of Arabic, Persian and Urdu
manuscripts which contains some valuable manuscripts in
Dakhni Urdu belonged to the late Maulvi Muhammad
Yusuf Khatkhatay of Bombay. This collection was
brought to the notice of the University by Principal
A. A. A. Fyzee and was purchased for the Library from
the heirs of the late Maulvisaheb. A catalogue of this
collection is under preparation.
Besides these collections the Library also purchases
Persian, Arabic or Urdu manuscripts from time to time
.and some of these have not yet been catalogued.
On the Sanskrit side the first collection is known as
the Bhagvatsinghji Collection of Sanskrit Manuscripts.
This is built up out of the proceeds of a special el!dow-
ment made in 1885 by the Thakore Saheb of Gonda!.
The number of manuscripts in this collection is now
over 1,000. A majority of these and the manuscripts of
the Bhadkamkar Collection mentioned below have been
catalogued by Prof. G. V. Devasthali under the super-
vision of Prof. H. D. Velankar. The catalogue is pub-
lished.
In 1936 the Library Committee added 181 palm leaf
manuscripts written in Grantha script to this Collection.
In March 1942 the Committee purchased 388 manuscripts

107
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

belonging to the late Pandit Govindshastri Nh-antar of

Nasik for the Collection. These manuscripts have been
described by Bhandarkar in Part I of his "Lists of Sans-
krit Manuscripts in Private Libraries in the Bombay
Presidency."
The second collection of Sanskrit Manuscripts is the
"H. M. Bhadkamkar Memorial Collection." This was
brought together by Prof. Velankar of the Wilson
College, Bombay, during a period of ten years. He
named the collection in memory of his revered teacher
the late Prof. H. M. Bhadkamkar of Wilson College,
and presented it to the University Library in 1934. This
collection consists of over 2,000 manuscripts and includes
many important and interesting manuscripts, among
which is one of "Ganeshakutukamrita," a poem in Sans-
krit in praise of Ganesha written by Nanasaheb Peshwa.
The manuscript is incomplete but it is the only one
known at present.
The Bhadkamkar Memorial collection contains 52
Marathi manuscripts.
The third collection of Sanskrit Manuscripts in the
University Library is "The Itcharam Suryaram Desai
Memorial Collection" of 1,688 manuscripts. This was
presented to the Library by the proprietors of the Gujarat
Printing Press, Messrs. Desai, sons of the late Itcharam
Suryaram Desai. Cataloguing of this collection is being
done at present by Prof. Velankar.
At present the Periodical Section is housed within
the general reading room, but it is planned to have a
separate hall for this important section in the near future.
It is also proposed to have a study room attached to the

108
 RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN BOMBAY

Library, a Lecture Hall, fully equipped for showing

Lantern Slides & Documentary Films and also a small
Museum for displaying rare and early printed books.

VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, BOMBAY

The Victoria and Albert Museum, located in the

Victoria Gardens at Byculla, was founded in 1858. The
Collection originally started in 1848 was housed at
first in the Mess Room of the Town Barracks. On the
outbreak of the Mutiny in 1857, the military authorities
urgently required the Mess Room and during the hur-
ried removal most of the exhibits were either damaged,
destroyed or lost. The meagre remnants were next
lodged in the Town Hall where they remained uncared
for a long time. · The collection was finally removed to
-the present building and the Museum named Victoria
and Albert Museum, was formally thrown open to the
public on 22nd May, 1872. The Museum was transferred
to the Bombay Municipality from 1st October, 1885 and
is under its direct administration.
The Victoria and Albert Museum is built in the
Italian Renaissance style. The interior is highly orna-
mental but the fine ceiling has been spoilt by letting into
it two unsightly sky lights. The collection consists of
specimens of Indian pottery, musical instruments, wea-
pons, cottage industries, Indian metal-ware, silver-ware
and ornaments, carved sandal-wood work, etc. There are
also models of Hindu mythological deities, costumes,
mendicants, games and pastimes. A small coin cabinet,
a small collection of pre-historic stone implements and

109
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

of minerals and fossils are other interesting exhibits. Of

particular interest is the. collection of prints and some-
rare original sketches and relief maps of topographical
interest pertaining to the town and island of Bombay.
Shri S. C. Upadhyaya is the Curator.

llO
 VII

SOME PLACES OF lnSTORICAL INTEREST

AROUND BOMBAY

ELEPHANT A CAVES:
The famous Elephanta island is a pleasant spot about
6 miles to the East of Bombay and about 4 miles from
the mainland of Konkan. The island is called Elephanta
because near the former landing place stood, in olden
times, a large stone elephant. In 1814 the head and neck
of the elephant dropped off and the body which had a
large crack down the back, sank down. It eventually
fell to pieces. The broken pieces however were brought
to Bombay and deposited in the Victoria Gardens. A
few years ago these pieces were put together, and the
"restored" elephant now stands again near the Victoria
and Albert Museum.
The local name for Elephanta is "Gharapuri" said
to be a corruption of Mangalpuri, the 'Grihpuri', head-
quarters of the Maurya Dynasty. Traces of this city are
still to be found near the northern landing place in the
form of broken pillars, brick and stone foundations and
fallen statues of Shiva.
After ascending a steep flight of stairs the tourist
finds himself on a small plateau and before him opens a
wide cavern. The caves which are of Brahmanical origin,
are dedicated to Shiva; they are situated at an elevation
of about 250 feet above the high water level and are

111
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

-entirely hewn out of a hard compact variety of trap rock.

The whole excavation consists of three parts: a central
temple or the Great Cave, with a small chapel on each
.side. The Great Cave measures about 133 feet from
side to side and is of about the same size from front to
back. The flat roof was originally supported by 26 carved
columns with 16 half columns but many of these pillars
have been either damaged or destroyed. The west side
,{){ the cave is occupied by the shrine proper and the
-various compartments of walls between the pillars are
carved with sculptures representing scenes from Hindu
Mythology.
The Shrine is a square chapel with four doors and
contains the Linga which represents "Shiva in his cha-
racter of the prolific power of nature." Around this linga
.chapel are a number of large figures representing Dwara-
palas or door-keepers. Of the various sculptures on the
walls the most striking is the colossal "Trimurti". It is
situated at the back of the cave and faces the entrance.
It represents Shiva in his threefold character-Brahma
in the centre; Vishnu to his left; and Rudra on his right.
The other sculptures represent "Ardhanareeshwara"
-or Shiva as uniting the two sexes in his person; Shiva
and Parvati; Mount Kailas, Ravana, shaking Mount
_Kailas; Tandava Dance; Bhairava; and Shiva as an
Ascetic.
Of the two small chapels at the sides, the one to the
.east contains a small "Linga" with steps leading to it
guarded by two sculptured lions; while the small chapel
!to the ·west contains a reservoir- for water and is- also
.dedicated to Shiva. There are also caves in the neigh-

112
 PLACES OF lfiSTORICAL INTERFST

bourhood; but they are in a more or less dilapidated

condition.
No data is available for fixing the precise date of
excavation of these caves. An inscription stone which
existed over the entrance, was removed about the year
1540 by Don Joao de Castro, the Viceroy and sent to
John ill, king of Portugal; but on one knows what
has become of this valuable relic.

KANHERI CAVES:
Situated in a picturesque valley in the heart of the
;sland of Salsette, these caves may be reached :from
Borivali station on the B. B. & C. I. Railway. The name
Kanheri is a corruption of "Kanhagiri" which in turn is
a Prakrit corruption of Krishnagiri, i.e. Krishna's hill,
.and it is conjected from this that the fame of the hill for
sanctity must have dated from before the rise of
Buddhism.
The caves which are Buddhistic, number one hun-
dred. An inscription in the caves at Nasik has led
archaeologists to suppose that they were constructed
between 100 B.C. and 50 A.D. but apparently some fresh
caves were excavated subsequently, during the fourth,
'fifth and sixth centuries. The caves consist of numerous
dwellings for Buddhist monks, and some "Chaityas" or
telic-shrines. Of the later the large "Chaitya cave",
some times also called the "Cathedral cave", is the most
important. In front of it once stood three relic mounds
which Fergusson thought were more ancient than the
.cave itself. The largest of these mounds was between
twelve and sixteen feet in height, and built of stone

113
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

and brick. Dr. Bird opened it in 1838 and found therein

two copper-plates and "a circular stone hollow in the
centre and covered at the top by a piece of gypsum."
The copper-plates had the Buddhist creed inscribed
thereon, while the stone coffer contained two small copper
urns in one of which were ashes with a ruby, a pearl
and a small piece of gold; there was also a small box con-
taining a piece of cloth. The other urn contained a silver
box and ashes. The vestibule of the great cave contains
two gigantic figures of Buddha 23 feet high. The next
important cave is the "Durbar cave" distinguished by
"two long low seats or benches running down the whole
length of the centre." It was a place of assembly and
a hall of audience. The "Vihars" or the Monks' dwelling
caves are scattered all over the hill in the neighbourhood
at different levels and the remains of an old dam which
at one time formed a large reservoir are still visible.
About the year 1535 Fr. Antonio, a Franciscan friar,
forcibly converted the Buddhist ascetics and turned the
great Chaitya cave into a Christian church of St. Michael
and it was used as such until the fall of Bassein.

BASSEIN:
Bassein lies about 28 miles north of Bombay and
was in the time of the Portuguese a very important and
rich city and although it is now in ruins an idea of its
past greatness can be obtained from the ruined churches,
monasteries and other buildings which are well worth
a visit. It can be reached by B. B. & C. I. Railway and
lies about 5 miles to .the ·south-west of Bassein Road
station.

114
 PLACES OE: HISTORICAL INTEREST

Bassein appears to have attracted the notice of the

Portuguese from very early days and was ceded to them
by Bahadur Shah, King of Gujarat, in 1534. The Portu-
guese promptly fortified the place, established themselves
firmly there and raised it to such prosperity that it came
to be known as the Portuguese Court of the North.
Wealthy noblemen adomed the city with a cathedral,
five convents, thirteen churches and an asylum for
orphans. Only the Hidalgos or Aristocracy were allowed
to dwell within the city-walls in "stately buildings two
storeys high and graced with covered balconies and large
windows." For over two centuries the Portuguese re-
mained masters of Bassein but in 1739 Chimnaji Appa,
brother of Peshwa Bajirao, appeared before the city with
a powerful army and after a siege of three months forced
the garrison to capitulate. Bassein thus passed into the
hands of the Marathas. In 1780 it was captured by the
British, but was restored to the Marathas by the treaty
of Salbai. In 1818, however, with the overthrow of the
last of the Peshwas it was resumed by the British and
incorporated into Thana district.
The old ramparts still remain in a fair state of preser-
vation but the buildings within the walls are in ruins;
yet the cathedral and the various churches can still be
made out.
The gateway of the city with its well preserved teak
and iron doors bears an inscription of the date "20th
November 1720". Within the gate on the left is a small
temple of Hanuman. On the same side there is a massive
high tower and walls overgrown with trees. It is the
Cathedral or Matriz of St. Joseph. It was built in 1546.

115
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

- Among the fine buildings of the city in the days of

Portuguese was the State house. Further there are re-
mains of the palaces of the General of the North and of
the Captain of Bassein. Behind the gate of the Round
Citadel was the Court of Justice, but more probably the
Church and the Convent of the Augustines. In the back-
ground are the Portuguese Royal Arms and some worn-
out devices. The palace of the Captain of the city was
built in the year 1636. There was a factory near the
palace managed by the officer second in rank to the
Captain. Close to the factory was a large building, appa-
rently a granary. Separated from the palace of the Gene-
ral of the North by the large oblong space of the old
palace garden are the Church and Hospital. The Hospital
was a very old institution and was endowed by the Portu-
guese Government. The Church though small had a
handsome front of finely dressed stone and delicately
wrought pillars. Not far from the entrance of this Church
is a modern Hindu Temple of Mahadeo and parallel to it
is the Church of Nossa Senhora da Vida which is one
of the oldest Churches in Bassein. Attached to the Church
are the ruins of a college, which although overgrown with
creepers and trees are still firm and in good condition;
the date on the door is 1636. The foundations of this
Church and monastery were laid in 1448 by M. Malchior
Gonsalves, a close friend of St. Francis Xavier. In the
nave of the Church near the chancel are two grave stones,
one of them bearing an inscription of the date of death
of Isabel de Aguiar, a widow lady, the noble helper of this
College.
A little beyond the ruins of the Jesuit buildings i&

116
 PLACES OF HISTORICAL INTEREST

the Franciscan Church of the Invocation of Santo

Antonio; the oldest and one of the largest religious
buildings in Bassein. The arched ceiling of the chief
chapel with elaborate mouldings is fairly preserved. Un-
like most Bassein buildings the Franciscan Church is
stony built and has basalt in its staircases, arches, win-
dows and door-posts; one staircase is still in good condi-
tion. There was a monastery as well as a church and the
ruins of both can still be traced. To the right of these
Franciscan ruins are the ruins of the Dominican Church
and Monastery built in 1583. The walls and tower of this
Church and part of the peaked roof near the chancel
are still standing in good order. The road between the
Dominican and Franciscan ruins and the fort walls leads
to the bastion of San Sebastian with a blocked postern.
On the other side of the wall leading from the postern
are the ruins of the pier. On both sides of an old street,
nearly parallel to the new high road which runs along
the middle of the fort to the sea-gate, are the remains of
old stately dwellings of the Hidalgos "graced with covered
balconies and large latticed or oyster shell windows."
Near these old mansions in a square overlooking the road
are the ruins of the Augustine Chapel of Nossa Senhora
de Annunciada. The front is double arched, the walls
and side windows of the chancel are well preserved and
parts of the vaulted roof with painted mouldings are still
visible.

117
 VIII

A SELECT LIST OF BOOKS ON BOMBAY

Acwort..l:!, H. A., History of the Drainage ~d Sewage of

Bombay, London, 1896.
Anderson, P., English in Western India, London, 1854.
Anglo-Portuguese Negotiations Relating to Bombay, 1660-
1677, Oxford, 1923.
Ashley-Brown, W., On the Bombay Coast and Deccan,
London, 1937.
Aubrey, D., Letters from Bombay, London, 1884. .
Banaji, D. R., Bombay and the Sidis, Bombay, 1932.
Bhandarkar, R. G., Early History of the Deccan, Bombay,
1884.
Bombay City and Island Gazetteer, 3 Vols., Bombay,
1909-10.
Bombay Gazetteer: VoL I part I History of Gujarat, Bom-
bay, 1896. '
Bombay Gazetteer: VoL I part II History of the Konkari,
Dakhan and Southern Maratha Country, Bombay,
1896..
Bombay Gazetteer: Vol XIII, XIV Thana, Bombay,
1882.
Bombay Gazetteer: Vol. XVI Nasik, Bombay, 1883.
Bombay Gazetteer: Vol. XXVI 3 Vols. Materials
towards a statistical account of the town and island
of Bombay, Bombay, 1893-94.
Bombay: Old and New, Bombay, 1911.
Bruce, J., Annals of East India Company, 1600-1708, 3
Vols., London, 1810.

118
 SELECT LIST OF BOOKS ON BOMBAY

Bulsara, J. F., (Editor), Bombay Citizenship Series,

Bombay, 194&-
Bulsara, J. F., Bombay: A City in the Making, Bom-
bay, 1948.
Dongerkerry, S. R., Bombay's University and
Colleges, Bombay, 1948.
Guilford, A. L., Our Transport System, .Bombay,
1949.
Kharas, H. A., Bombay's Environs and Beauty Spots,
Bombay, 1948.
Savkar, D. S., Banking and Finance in Bombay,
Bombay, 1948.
Salim Ali, Birds of Bombay, Bombay, 1948.
Burnel, J., Bombay in the Days of Queen Anne, London,
1933.
Burnell, J. and Hurst, A. R., Labour and Housing in
Bombay.
Burns, C. L., Catalogue of the Collection of Maps, Prints
and Photographs illustrating the History of Bombay,
Bombay, 1918.
Chambers, F., Diurnal Variations of the Wind, Baromet-
ric Pressure, etc. at Bombay, Bombay, 1876.
Cholia, R. P., Dock Labourers in Bombay, Calcutta, 1941.
City Improvement Trust, Bombay. Administration
Reports, Annual
Clutterbuck, G. W., In India; or Bombay the Beautiful,
London, 1897.
Cox, E. C., Short History of the Bombay Presidency,
Bombay, 1887.
Da Cunha, J. G., Notes on the History and Antiquities of
Chaul and Bassein, Bombay, 1876.

119
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

DaCunha, J. G., Origin of Bombay, 1900.

Dadachandji, F. F., List of Hindu Charities in Bombay.
Bombay, 1919.
Dalzel, N. A. and Gibson, A., Bombay Flora. Bombay.
1861.
Description of the Port and Island of Bombay, London,
1724.
Dewar, D., Bombay Ducks, London, 1906.
Dewar, D., Bygone Days in India, London, 1922.
Development of New Bombay, Bombay, 1932.
Devennon, Bombay Coastwise, Cochin, 1944.
Douglas, J., Bombay and Western India, 2 Vols., London.
1893.
Douglas, J., Book of Bombay, Bombay, 1883.
Douglas, J., Glimpses of Old Bombay and Western India,
London, 1900.
Douglas, J., Round About Bombay, Bombay, 1886.
Downing, C., History of the Indian Wars, Edited: Foster>
London, 1924.
Drewitt, F. D., Bombay in the Days of George IV, Lon-
don, 1907.
Ducat, W. M., Report on the Project for Reclaiming Land
~tween Bombay and Trombay, Bombay, 1863.
Edwardes, S. M., Bombay City Police: A Historical
Sketch, 1672-1916, London, 1923.
Edwardes, S. M., Byways of Bombay, Bombay, 1912.
Edwardes, S.M., Rise of Bombay, Bombay, 1902.
Elwin, E. F., 39 Years in Bombay City, London, 1913.
Fawcett, C., The First Century of British. Justice in
India, Oxford, 1934.
Fleet, J. F., Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts, Bombay.
1876.
120
 SELECT LIST OF BOOKS ON BOMBAY

Forbes, J., Oriental Memoirs, 4 Vols., London, 1813.

Forbes, J., Oriental Memoirs, 2 Vols., 2nd Edition, Lon-
don, 1834.
Forrest, G. W., Bombay State Papers, Home Series, 2
. Vols., Bombay, 1899.
Forrest, G. W., Cities of India, Westminster, 1903.
Fryer, J., New account of East India and Persia, London,
1698.
Fryer, J., New Account of East India, 2 :Vols., New Edi-
tion, London1 1772.
Grose, J. H., Voyage to the East Indies, London, 1757.
Grose, J. H., Voyage to the East Indies, 2 Vols., New Edi-
tion, London, 1772.
Hamilton, A., New Account of the East Indies, 2 Vols.,.
London, 1744.
Heber, R., Narrative of the Journey through the upper
Provinces of India from Calcutta to Bombay, 2 Vols.,.
1824-25, London, 1828.
Hi!'torical Account of the Settlement and Possession by
the East India Company of Bombay, London, 1781.
Hull, E. R., Bombay Controversy of 1918, London, 1919.
Hunter, W. W., Bombay 1885-90, London, 1892.
Ingram, A. R., Gateway to India, Oxford, 1938.
lves, E., Voyage from England to India in 1754, London,.
1773.
Johnson, S. A., Bombay Docks, Bombay, 1874.
Joshi, N. M., Urban Handicrafts of the Bombay Deccan,
Poona, 1936.
Joshi, P. B., Ancient History of North Konkan, Bombay,.
1926.
Joshi, P. B., Early History of Bombay, Bombay, 1902.

121
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

Joshi, P. B., Short sketch of the early history of the Town

and Island of Bombay, Bombay, 1902.
Kennelly, D.J., On a Proposed Deep Water Pier for Bom-
bay, Bombay, 1860.
Karkaria, R. P., (Editor), Charms of Bombay, BombayJ
1915.
K. R., Bombay Beggars and Criers, Bombay, 1892.
Life in Bombay and the neighbouring out-stations,
London, 1852.
Low, S., Vision of India, London, 1906.
Maclean, J. M., A Guide to Bombay, Edinburgh, 1899.
Mahalaxmivala, P. D., B.E.S.T. Co. Ltd., Bombay, 1936.
Malabari, P. B. M., Bombay in the making, London, 1910.
J.Vlanshardt, C., (Editor), Bombay to-day and to-morrow,
Bombay, 1930.
Manshardt, C., (Editor), Bombay Municipality at work,
Bombay, 1935.
Manshardt, C., (Editor), Bombay looks Ahead, Bombay,
1934.
Manshardt, C., (Editor), Some social services of the Gov-
ernment of Bombay, Bombay, 1937.
Masani., R. P., Evolution of Local Self Government in
Bombay, Oxford, 1929.
Mehta, R. J., You will find it in Bombay, Bombay, 1939.
Michael, L. W., History of the Municipal Corporation of
Bombay, Bombay, 1902.
Milburn, W., Oriental Commerce, 2 Vols., London, 1813.
Newell, H. A., Bombay: the gate of India, Bombay, N.D.
Nihal Singh, The Development of Bombay, Bombay 1924.
--Official Handbook and guide for officers arriving in Bom-
bay, Bombay, 1918.

122
 SELECT LIST OF BOOKS ON BOMBAY

Old and New Bombay; an historical and descriptive ac-

count of Bombay and its environs, Bombay, 1911.
Ollivant, E. C. K., Transactions of the 7th International
Congress, London, 1891.
On Settlement of Foras Lands in Bombay, Bombay, 1854.
On the supply of water to Bombay, Bombay, 1854.
Orme, R., Historical fragments of the Mogul empire,
London, 1805.
Orr, J. P., Bombay City Improvement Trust, from 1898
to 1909, Bombay, 1911.
Orr, J. P., Density of population in Bombay, Bombay,
1915.
Orr,· J. P., Light and air in dwellings in Bombay, Born"
bay, 1922.
Orr, J. P., Note on the finance of the Bombay City Im-
provement Trust, Bombay, 1919.
Orr, J.P., Social reform and slum reform, Bombay, 1917.
Ovington, J., Voyage to Surat, London, 1696.
Papers on Mr. W. Walker's Pier Scheme for Bombay
Harbour, Bombay, 1857.
Papers relating to the pilotage system of Bombay, Bom-
bay, 1866.
Pargiter, F.E., Markandeya Purana, English translation,
Calcutta, 1905.
Pargiter, F. E., Purana text of the dynasties of the Kali
age, London, 1913.
Patell, B. B., History of the first Parsi Patells of Bombay,
Bombay, 1937.
Pinder, D. A., Visitors' • illustrated guide to Bombay,
Bombay, 1904.

123
 THE STORY OF THE ISLAND CITY

Port Trust, Bombay, Administration Reports, Annual.

Port Trust, Bombay, Review of the History and opera-
tions, 1873-1905, Bombay, 1905.
Postan, Mrs. M., Western India in 1838, London, 1839.
Pradhan G. R., Untouchable workers of Bombay City,
Bombay, 1938.
Precis of correspondence on the subject of lighting up
the entrance to the harbour of Bombay, Bombay 1866.
Priyolkar, A. K., Life of Dadoba Pandurang, Bombay,
1947.
Raghunathji, K., Hindu temples of Bombay, Bombay,
1900.
Reed, S., Bombay to-day and to-morrow, Bombay, 1928.
Rotary Club of Bombay, Bombay: the Gateway of India;
the advantages it offers to industrialists, Bombay,
1936.
Saklatvala, S. D., History of the Mill Owners' Association
Bombay, 1875-1930, Bombay, 1931.
Saklatwalla, J. E., Bombay drainage and Worlee outfall,
Bombay, 1930.
Savardekar, D. S., (Editor), The Directory of Social work
in the City and Island of Bombay, Bombay, 1926.
Schaeffer, E. N., Pictorial Bombay, Bombay, 1937.
Sharpe, W. R. S., Bombay: the gateway of India, Bombay,
1930.
Sharpe, W. R. S., The Port of Bombay, Bombay, 1930.
Sheppard, S. T., Bombay, Bombay, 1932.
Sheppard, S. T., Bombay Place-names and Street-names,
Bombay, 1917.
Sheppard, S. T., The Byculla Club, 1833-1916, Bombay,
1916.

124
 SELECT LIST OF BOOKS ON BOMBAY

Souvenir of Royal progress, December 1911, Bombay,

1911.
Sulivan, R. J. F., One hundred years of Bombay: History
of the Bombay Chamber of Commerce, 1836-1936,
Bombay, 1937.
Sykes, W. H., On the census of Island of Bombay and
Colaba, Bombay, 1849.
Temple, R., Men and events of my time in India, London,
1882.
Tugwell, W. B. P., History of the Bombay Pioneers, Lon-
don, 1938.
Turkhad, D. A., Bombay; Past and Present, Bombay,
1919.
Wacha, D. E., A financial chapter in the history of Bom-
bay City, Bombay, 1910. ·
Wacha, D. E., Rise and Growth of Bombay Municipal
Government, Madras, 1913.
Wacha, W. E., Shells from sands of Bombay being my
recollections and reminiscences, 1860-1875, Bombay
1920.

125
 HARVARD
ORIENTAL SERIES
This Series was founded in 1891. It aims to make avail-
able for the people of the West the incomparable lessons
the Wise Men of the East can teach. The thirty-nine
volumes of which the Series c::omprises fall under one of
the following groups:

[! (1) VEDAS, BRAHMANAS, UPANISHADS;

(2) BUDDlnSM; (3) PHU..OSOPHY;
(4) STORIES, COURT EPICS, PROVERBS;
(5) DRAMA.
A list of the volumes will be supplied on application
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Calcutta Bombay Madras

···:Poor:iA....oiiiNiA.i···i3o.oi{...1fousE'.... 1.·

(Prop. D. K. Gondhalckar)
Dealers in Oriental and Rare Books
330 A, Sadashiv Peth, Poona 2.
We undertake to supply books, rare and new, pertain-
ing to Oriental learning esp. those dealing with Sanskrit
and allied languages and literature such as ancient Indian
Art, Archaeology and Cultural History. We also supply
Indological books to Colleges, Universities, Scholars in
India and abroad. Intending purchasers are cordially in-
vited to send their want lists.
SOME OF OUR AGENCY BOOKS
(1) JAYADAMAN: A Collection of ancient texts on Sans-
krit Prosody and a classified list of Sanskrit
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